Harry Potter and the Prophecy of the Phoenix
by Storyspindler
Summary: Complete and edited! Harry's fifth year will send him on a journey to discover his destiny and who he really is.
1. Chapter 1

Hi everyone. This is the fifth year fic that everyone has to write. Please be warned that there is mention of child abuse in this story, but there is no graphic detail and it is NOT the main focus of this story. That will be Harry discovering exactly who he is and what he must do to defeat Voldemort. This is the first Harry Potter fic that I am posting though it is not the first I have written.

**Disclaimer:** If you see it and recognize it, I did not have the honor of creating it. We all know who did.

**Harry Potter and the Prophecy of the Phoenix: Chapter 1**

Number 4 Privet Drive seemed to be an ordinary house, an illusion the Dursleys strove desperately to maintain, but the seemingly normal walls enclosed a quite abnormal family. The supposed center of this abnormality sat up gasping from a nightmare in the smallest upstairs bedroom

Harry Potter's eyes were wild, taking in his surroundings while trying to control his breathing. A soft cry of pain fell from his lips as one hand went to his throbbing scar and the other arm curled protectively around his ribs.

Vernon Dursley's drill company, Grunnings, had gone under. Unable to accept the fact that his company had failed because of his own incompetence, he blamed Harry and his abnormality. The protests that he was not allowed to perform magic outside his school because he was underage fell on deaf ears. Reeking of cheap alcohol, Vernon had left his gaping nephew with a split lip and a black eye. The Dursleys had done many horrible things to him in the past, but they had never physically harmed him before this summer. They had preferred to torture him psychologically.

Harry had almost been relieved when he heard his Aunt Petunia screech at Vernon, demanding to know what he had done. However, his heart fell abruptly when she started babbling about the neighbors asking questions. She didn't care if Vernon hit her nephew as long as there was no physical evidence that could be seen and could ruin their reputations.

Ever since that first encounter, Vernon, always drunk, was careful to avoid hitting his nephew anywhere that was visible just in case someone saw him and started asking questions. Vernon was also very particular about hitting Harry, not touching his precious wife and son.

Harry tried to fight back and escape at first, but Vernon eventually caught up with him. Without his magic, Harry was simply no match for his hulk of an uncle. He learned early on that if he just took it, the beatings would be shorter and cause less damage, as any resistance on Harry's part only seemed to further incense his inebriated uncle.

Slowly the pain ebbed, and a blanket of exhaustion wrapped around him. He had not had a decent night's sleep his entire summer vacation, and tomorrow would mark the beginning of his fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

He wondered briefly if his friends would recognize him. He barely recognized himself anymore. Eyes once sparkling emerald now seemed a lifeless gray, and a sickly pallor had replaced all color in his face except for the dark swelling, from lack of sleep, encircling his eyes. His normally unruly black hair had actually settled but now seemed to hang limply around his face, completely hiding his scar. Also, the height that he had gained over the summer only seemed to emphasize the amount of weight he had lost.

Dudley was still on his Smeltings diet but had yet to lose a pound. If anything, Dudley seemed more enormous than ever. Harry was convinced that Dudley had to be sneaking food. Harry's own efforts had been discovered, and Hedwig had been banished from the home. Harry had been punished severely for this transgression, and he was vaguely aware of his cousin's sneering face in the background. Thus, Hedwig had spent the majority of the summer at the Weasleys', and Harry had spent the majority of the summer alone and miserable.

The only saving grace of the summer was that Dumbledore had personally owled Harry's new books and supplies to him. Inside had been a letter apologizing and explaining that Harry would be unable to leave Privet Drive over the holidays for his own safety. Luckily, the owl had arrived late at night and had gone unnoticed by his relatives.

Also enclosed was a silver badge and a congratulatory note from Professor McGonagall, his head of house. Harry had laughed hollowly at this, convinced more than ever that the members of the entire staff at Hogwarts were all slightly mad though some more than others.

His books had given him something to do in the early morning hours when he was unable to fall back asleep. He had read through each of them twice and was now beginning his third reading. He smiled smugly as he cracked open his Potions text, thinking of the shocked expression on Snape's face when he realized that Harry actually knew the answers to his questions.

Harry dragged his trunk and Hedwig's empty cage toward Platform 9 3/4. His uncle, in an attempt to simply rid himself of Harry, had dropped him off incredibly early.

At least I'll have my choice of compartments. Harry reasoned to himself as he stepped across the barrier. His spirits rose at the sight of the scarlet Hogwarts Express, and a veil of relief seemed to settle on him as he boarded the train. Claiming an empty compartment, Harry basically collapsed into a seat.

He slipped into a state of reverie and was snapped out of it by the pandemonium outside the train that could only be the Weasley family.

"Oh, dear. I don't see him. I hope that awful uncle of his brings him." Came Mrs. Weasley's fretting voice. Though Harry had only known her for a few years, she was as close to a mother figure that he had ever known.

Smiling, Harry opened the window and called out, "It's okay, Mrs. Weasley. I made it."

"Oh, Harry dear. How are you?"

"I'm fine, thanks."

That taken care of, she turned to her children and Hermione, who had spent the last week at the Burrow, giving them last minute instructions and shoving them onto the train before it left without them.

Ron and Hermione were all smiles until they actually entered the compartment and saw their friend. Smiles faded into looks of concern as they took in his even slighter, almost-emaciated stature and the dark smudges under his eyes.

Before either could comment, Harry anticipated their concerns. "I'm all right."

That did not seem to satisfy them at all.

"Didn't they feed you at all?" Ron inquired as Hermione rushed to pull him into a tight hug.

Harry normally would have chuckled at Ron's comment, knowing the priority food had with Ron, but the sudden pressure against his ribs caused him to gasp in pain.

Hermione pulled away immediately. "You are not all right. What happened?"

"Drop it, Hermione, please." There was a twinge of desperation in his voice.

Reluctantly she acquiesced with a look saying that she would let the subject go for now but that the discussion would resume later.

A worried hoot averted Harry's gaze to the owl cage holding both Ron's owl, Pig, and Hedwig.

"Hedwig!" Harry greeted happily as Ron opened the cage to release her. Landing on his arm, she nipped at him affectionately and then turned an irritated gaze to the miniature owl still in the cage. Laughing for the first time in ages and ignoring the complaint of his ribs, Harry admonished, "Oh come now. It wasn't that bad, was it?"

When she ruffled her feathers in response, the entire trio burst into laughter, significantly easing the tension in the compartment.

Harry reclined back into his seat after putting Hedwig into her own cage. "So, how was your summer?"

Ron started before Hermione had a chance to speak. "You better watch out for Fred and George, Harry. Somehow they found an investor for their joke shop and were inventing all summer. Turned me blue for an entire week. Mom went off her rocker, but they felt so bad about it that they bought me new dress robes out of their investment money."

Harry grinned to himself. Fred and George had certainly kept their part of the bargain after Harry had given them his Triwizard Tournament earnings, and they had even found a way to buy the robes without arousing Ron's suspicions.

Hermione started talking about her week in Bulgaria, and Harry noticed that Ron's lips had tightened. Hermione was oblivious, however, and went on excitedly about all of the different books and sights she saw.

"What about you, Harry?" Ron asked, still trying to find the reason for his friend's appearance.

"The Dursleys were as horrible as ever, and Dudley was still on his diet." The tone of his voice implied that this was all that he was going to say.

"Did you two at least start studying for your O.W.L.s?" Hermione questioned, looking as if she already knew the answer.

"Of course not. Harry and I are going to wait until the last minute to cram. Right Harry?"

Two sets of eyes turned to him, and either answer would be the wrong one. Instead, Harry averted his gaze from Ron's.

"Harry!" Ron exclaimed with a hint of betrayal in his voice.

"It's not like I had anything better to do." He muttered, half-listening as Hermione and Ron got into another argument about the importance of school work. A small smile played on his lips. With all that had happened, some things never changed.

Harry did not know quite when he dozed off, but images of the third task and his horrific summer vacation began to flash unrelentingly through his head. They seemed to close in on him, and it was getting hard to breathe. It felt as if he was drowning, his lungs burning ferociously.

"Harry!"

The chorus of two voices snapped him out of it, and he awoke to see Hermione and Ron looking at him in alarm. Apparently, a temporary truce had been called.

"You okay, mate?" Ron questioned, as Harry could not seem to catch his breath.

Harry had subconsciously wrapped his arm around his ribcage, and Hermione eyed it suspiciously.

"Yeah." He managed after dragging sufficient oxygen into his lungs.

"Does your scar hurt?" Hermione was looking at him as if she was afraid he would break.

"No. It was just a normal nightmare. Don't worry, Hermione. I'll be sure to tell Dumbledore if something happens." The truth was his scar was hurting a little. It constantly ached now, but he was not about to admit to it because Hermione had a tendency to overreact.

Ron's eyes were wide. "A normal nightmare?"

"Harry," Hermione's voice was soft, "when was the last time you got a decent night's sleep?"

"It's been a while." He admitted.

"It shows."

"RON!"

"Well it does!"

"Can't you show some sensitivity every once in awhile?"

Harry sighed. There they went arguing again. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you two were an old married couple."

A stunned silence met his statement, and Harry smirked in victory, turning to gaze at the scenery rushing past the window.

"Well, we better put on your robes. We'll be there any minute now." Hermione announced almost-haughtily.

Harry found himself unable to pay attention to the Sorting Ceremony. Ron had not taken Harry's position of prefect well, especially since Hermione had predictably become a prefect as well, and Harry did not need an attack of his friend's jealousy now.

He was also feeling dizzy and nauseous from exhaustion and malnutrition, and there was an odd sort of buzzing in his scar.

Something wasn't right.

His scar had never felt like this before.

He rubbed it unconsciously until he felt Ron and Hermione's eyes burning into him.

"Harry-" Hermione started.

"It just feels funny. I'll talk to Dumbledore after the feast."

He was saved from further questions as the feast suddenly appeared on the table. Ron characteristically heaped mounds of everything onto his plate while Harry, whose appetite normally mirrored Ron's, only served himself meager quantities.

Hermione turned disapproving eyes to Harry's plate.

"Hermione, this is more than what I got at the Dursleys', and I'm not feeling well. I'll be lucky to finish this." Harry responded without taking his eyes off his plate. He pushed around his food before bringing a bite to his mouth.

He really wished that Ron and Hermione would take their gazes off of him.

It was then that his scar exploded with pain.

The world around him disappeared.

He could not hear Ron and Hermione call to him in alarm as his eyes suddenly turned stark white, could not see Dumbledore rise in concern and head for him with McGonagall and Hagrid at his heels, and could not feel his body fall to the ground seconds before it burst into flames.

_He was in the middle of a wooded area somewhere in front of a house, feeling quite disoriented and vaguely noticing the full moon._

_The pain in his scar was so intense that his legs refused to hold him any longer, and he collapsed onto his knees._

_"Are you sure they're in there?"_

_The voice belonged to Lucius Malfoy, and it was alarmingly close._

_"Y-yes.__ The werewolf won't leave the house in fear of hurting someone, and his friend won't leave him alone."_

_A surge of fear shot through Harry as he realized the significance of those words. He struggled to his feet, thinking that somehow he could warn them, that he could save them, that they would not die purposelessly like Cedric._

_The house seemed suddenly surrounded by Death Eaters, but Harry knew that they had probably been there before. He broke into a run towards the house and missed Lucius give the others the signal._

_There was a massive cry of, "Incendio,"and the house erupted into a ball of flame. The force sent Harry flying backwards. Pushing himself up once more, he gazed in anguish at the fiery grave._

_He was too late._

_Again._

_"Morsmorde!"_

_The Dark Mark appeared in the sky as if to mock him, to point out that he was a failure. He was the Boy-Who-Lived, but everyone around him seemed to die._

_Satisfied with their handiwork, the Death Eaters disapparated._

_Harry approached the flames, feeling the heat on his skin. He waved his hand, not noticing that he had no wand, and whispered an incantation that he did not know._

_Instantly, the flames were snuffed as if he had blown out a candle._

_He did not stop his approach until he was in the center of the ash where his legs gave out again._

_"I'm sorry." He whispered as a single tear trailed down his cheek._

Unseen by the boy in his grief, two pairs of canine eyes were peering at the rubble from behind the bushes.

"Harry?" Dumbledore's concerned voice was beckoning him back.

Harry opened his eyes reluctantly. His scar was throbbing violently, and he did not want to face what had happened. At least his nightmares would be different tonight.

It took him a moment to realize that he was still in the Great Hall, which had been deserted, the feast forgotten.

"Harry." Dumbledore continued when Harry met his gaze. "What happened?"

A lump formed in Harry's throat, and he forced back tears. He noticed vaguely that the familiar sparkle was completely absent from Dumbledore's eyes.

"Death Eaters. Professor Lupin and Sirius were killed." The words sounded hollow and distant to his own ears. Had he really said them?

McGonagall gasped in surprise at the latter name, and Harry finally realized Hagrid and McGonagall's presence along with Dumbledore's.

Dumbledore raised a hand to quell the questions of the pair.

The pain in his scar intensified once again, and Harry moaned softly, bringing his hand to it.

He pulled his hand away in shock, shaking slightly, as it came into contact with a warm sticky substance and found his fingers stained crimson.

"My scar's bleeding."

He felt warm and fuzzy, feeling darkness creeping around him.

Am I going into shock? He wondered wildly.

"Harry, has this ever happened before?"

This must be bad. Dumbledore looks frightened.

"No." He responded before tumbling into the beckoning darkness.

Thank you so much if you made it this far. I won't threaten not to post if I don't get a certain number of reviews. That just makes me not want to review. However, I appreciate reviews greatly and hope that your finger hits the button at the bottom of the screen. If you absolutely hated it and you want to see the story banished, then I will write no more.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Wow! Thanks to all who reviewed. I will respond to you personally at the end. I like having responses to my reviews, and if you don't like that, just skip it. On we go.

**Disclaimer:** See first chapter. From now on, the disclaimer will be implied.

**Harry Potter and the Prophecy of the Phoenix- Chapter 2**

The peaceful blackness that Harry had fallen into was disrupted all too soon by the demons of his subconscious.

_Sirius and Lupin were burning, skin charring horribly under the flames._

_Harry's godfather turned pleading eyes to him. "Help us, Harry!"_

_Harry tried desperately to get to them, but the faster he ran, the farther away they seemed to get. His lungs didn't seem to be working correctly, and he finally collapsed to the ground in defeat and exhaustion._

_"Why won't you help us?" Both men kept repeating as the words began to echo around Harry._

_"I can't." He yelled mournfully, and his voice echoed hollowly, mixing with the incessant pleas. _

"Harry!"

Once again, Harry awoke to Dumbledore's worried voice.

"Thanks." He whispered, grateful to be out of the nightmare as his hand reached for his scar, which he found bandaged.

There was an odd glint in Dumbledore's eyes, but they seemed sadder and cracked with age. Voldemort's return had taken a toll on the elderly wizard as well. "I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't tell Madam Pomfrey that I woke you. She made it quite clear that she would hex me into oblivion if I disturbed you."

Harry could not help the small curve to his lips. "Then you have nothing to worry about. It wasn't you who disturbed me."

Dumbledore acknowledged the statement with a slight nod of his head and then continued regretfully, "Harry, I'm sorry, but I need to know what you saw tonight."

All of the muscles in Harry's body tightened, and distantly, he heard his voice recapping his vision. Although Dumbledore remained quiet, at the end he seemed thoughtful, as if considering something Harry had not.

"Thank you, Harry. There's one more order of business we need to take care of."

Harry paled, seeing the seriousness in his headmaster's features, and the intensity of his gaze was almost frightening.

"Madam Pomfrey found some cracked ribs and severe bruising when she examined you."

Harry looked away in shame, but Dumbledore gently turned Harry's head so that he met the gaze of the aged wizard.

"How long has this been going on?"

There was just something about Dumbledore's azure eyes that was almost hypnotic, and Harry felt the words tumble out of his mouth as if not of their own accord.

"My uncle lost his job this summer and started drinking."

Dumbledore sighed, "I see. Needless to say, you will not be returning to the Dursleys' care. Arrangements will be made for you summer care."

He paused for a moment, and Harry could read an emotion in his headmaster that he was all too familiar with: guilt.

"I'm afraid, Harry, that I tried to protect you from one monster by sending you to another one."

"It's not your fault, sir. You couldn't have known."

That statement did little to appease the culpability Dumbledore felt. "It's my job to know. Would you like to press charges?"

"No."

Guilt was replaced by disappointment. "I wish you'd reconsider. There is no excuse for how you were treated."

"No. As long as I don't have to go back, I'd rather leave the whole thing behind me."

"I cannot force you to act, but if you change your mind, just let me know. Now, Madam Pomfrey left a Dreamless Sleep potion. I'd like you to take this and get some rest. It looks as if you use some, if you don't mind me saying."

Harry shook his head. "Classes start tomorrow. If I take that, I won't wake up." Seeing Dumbledore about to argue, Harry continued, "It's the first day. I don't want to start the term in the hospital wing. Please."

Dumbledore looked reluctant as he replied, "All right. I'll have a discussion with Madam Pomfrey in the morning, but if you change your mind, you can be excused from classes tomorrow. And Harry, if you ever need to talk, my door is always open."

The sarcastic comment about the stubborn stone gargoyle died before it hit Harry's lips as a sudden jolt of panic hit him. "Does - does anyone else know? About my uncle I mean."

"Professor McGonagall and Hagrid were here when your injuries were discovered, but rest assured. The information will remain in our confidence. Whether or not you tell your friends is up to you, but I would suggest that they could be a great help to you."

"I'll think about it." Harry knew that he had no intention of telling Ron or Hermione, but he said the words to appease the headmaster.

Dumbledore was not fooled. "Very well. Take a sip of the potion. It will let you rest for a bit, but you'll wake in time for classes. I'll see you in the morning."

Dumbledore could not help the smile that spread across his face as he heard the boy mumble, "Miss the first day of classes. Hermione would never let me hear the end of it."

Harry found himself rushing to the dungeon the next morning. As fate would have it, the first class of the first day would have to be Double Potions with the Slytherins, and he was running late. Madam Pomfrey refused to release him until he finished a very large breakfast.

Right now, his stomach was aching miserably, and his running was only causing it to threaten him with revisiting his breakfast.

He skidded into Potions classroom with only seconds to spare.

"It's very nice of you to join us, Potter." Snape sneered. "However, fame or not, you are expected to come to class on time like the rest of your classmates. Ten points from Gryffindor."

Normally, Harry would have protested, but the instincts telling him to take the punishment and get it over with that he inherited over the summer reared their ugly heads, and Harry slunk silently to his seat.

Hermione and Ron shot him worried looks, and Harry felt grateful that the bandage had been removed earlier that morning and his scar appeared normal.

Snape almost seemed disappointed that Harry made no protest. "Well, let's see how you all wasted your summer holidays. Potter, what is arviteserum?"

The words came out mechanically as Hermione's hand shot up, "Arviteserum is a derivative of veritaserum. But arviteserum only causes the person's greatest secret to be revealed instead of having the person tell the whole truth."

Snape scowled, and Hermione lowered her hand, looking almost dejected.

"All right, Potter. Since you seem to know so much about it, I'm sure you won't mind giving us a demonstration."

Harry's blood ran cold, knowing what a demonstration would reveal. The Boy-Who-Lived, who defeated Voldemort as a baby could not hold his own against his muggle relatives.

Harry began to mix his potion, feeling detached and continuing only on pure instinct. Meanwhile, his mind was whirling frantically, trying to decide whether or not to deliberately sabotage his potion.

He was so immersed in his internal debate that he jumped when Neville's cauldron exploded behind him, causing green growths to appear and spread on Neville's skin.

"MR. LONGBOTTOM! HAVE YOU LEARNED NOTHING IN FIVE YEARS! TWENTY POINTS FROM GRYFFINDOR! REPORT TO THE HOSPITAL WING, AND REPORT TO ME TONIGHT FOR DETENTION!"

Neville scampered off, and Harry quickly decided that risking another explosion would not be in his best interest.

Soon the potion bubbling before him was the desired hypnotic blue, reminding him decisively of the headmaster's eyes.

Snape approached his cauldron, seeming frustrated that he could find nothing physically wrong with Harry's potion. "Very well, Potter, let's see what's hiding inside that head of yours." Snape announced, dipping the vial into Harry's cauldron and shoving it toward the young wizard.

"No." The word that fell from his lips surprised Harry more than anyone else in the room.

Snape's sallow face darkened, and his eyes narrowed. "You will drink this potion, or it will be one hundred points from Gryffindor and detention for a week."

Harry would have suffered with the detention sentence, but he refused to have his entire house punished for his foolish pride. Begrudgingly, he took the vial from Snape's hand and downed the contents.

His bottom lip and the circumference around his left eye were tingling. Harry focused on the feeling, trying to suppress it much like he fought the Imperious curse. Considering the disappointment plainly evident on Snape's face, his effort was working, but it was taking a lot of energy to keep it up.

"Well, once again it has been proven that Potter's talents do not extend to Potions. Twenty points from Gryffindor. I want a two feet on truth potions due next lesson. Dismissed." With that, Snape turned sharply and buried himself in something at his desk.

Harry was still battling the potion and knew that he was beginning to lose. He could feel his bottom lip begin to swell slightly.

"Coming Harry?" Ron and Hermione were waiting on him.

"Go on. I need to talk to Snape for a moment."

Both examined Harry warily but left without further questions.

As soon as the dungeon was deserted with the exceptions of Harry and Snape, Harry stopped fighting the potion.

It was a strange sensation feeling his eye swell shut and his lip swell and split.

He lowered his head in shame as if the shadows could hide what he no longer could, and his voice sounded softly, "Professor Snape."

"What do you want, Potter?" Snape did not look up from what he was looking at.

"Could I have the antidote to the potion, please?"

"What do you need with the antidote? Your potion didn't w-" He cut himself off as Harry raised his head. Immediately, Snape was on his feet. "What is the meaning of this?" He hissed sharply.

Harry gulped as Snape approached, taken aback by his anger and not knowing how to respond.

"Answer me, Potter!"

"My uncle." He murmured softly.

Snape was obviously furious, but Harry was unsure what exactly he was furious about.

"Have you reported this to anyone?"

"Professor Dumbledore has been informed. Can I have the antidote now?" His words were flat and emotionless.

Snape shoved a vial with a canary yellow potion into his hands.

Harry swallowed the potion gratefully and felt a tingling sensation run through his body as the swelling receded and the split repaired itself.

"What class do you have now?"

"Transfiguration."

"Very well. Come along then."

McGonagall shot Harry a look as he slipped quickly into his seat, but the look molded into one of surprise as Snape entered the classroom.

"Forgive Potter's tardiness. It was I who detained him." He then turned with a swish of his robes without waiting for a response.

With Snape gone, the class turned their surprised gazes at Harry, wondering what could have happened in the dungeon.

"Miss Granger, will you please explain the assignment to Mr. Potter. The rest of you may begin."

As the trio left Transfiguration, two of them seemed pale and shaky.

They had been transfiguring spiders into cats.

Hermione of course had completed the process in only a couple of tries and hardly any trouble.

Ron, whose fear of spiders was known to all of the fifth year Gryffindors due to the Boggart lesson in their third year, had simply stared at the arachnid, swallowing spastically for the first half of the lesson. When he had finally picked up his wand, his hand was shaking so hard as he spoke the incantation that he could not get it right. He had left the class with an eight-legged calico.

Harry, however, who was not known for greatness in Transfiguration, had surprised them all, including himself. Something very strange had happened. It felt as if a surge of energy had flowed from his body into his wand. There was a blinding flash, and the spider had become an orange tabby.

The effort had left him feeling lightheaded, as if all of his energy had been drained, and he had to admit to himself that after the surge and fighting the potion for so long, most of his energy probably had been spent.

The corridor was beginning to spin around him, and Harry made a split- second decision.

"I'm going to go take a nap before Divination. I'll see you two later."

"But Harry," Hermione protested, "you need to eat something."

Besides, she and Ron were hoping to find out what was going on over lunch.

Harry was silently praying that the world would hold still. "I'm not hungry." Without waiting for further protests from his friends, he headed unsteadily towards his dormitory.

Harry climbed the ladder to Divination. His nap was far from restful. He had made a silent plea for just a few moments of rest, but he was immediately assaulted by images of Voldemort, Cedric, his parents, Sirius, and Lupin. The latter two, once again, were being consumed by flames.

His throat felt raw, and Harry felt grateful that no one else had been there to hear him screaming.

Now his scar was throbbing softly, and he was in no mood for Trelawney's death predictions today. At least he did not need actual magic for this class. All he had to do was see a death sign, the grim was a favorite, and the professor was happy.

Harry took his customary seat next to Ron, who was eyeing him critically.

Before either could say anything, Trelawney's voice floated through the air, "My dears. The start of another year has come, and I fear that some of us will not return for the start of the next."

She turned her attention to Harry as she said this, and Lavender and Parvati gasped in terror.

_Really, you would think that they would expect it by now._

"My inner eye has informed me that you should learn the art of fire gazing. We will start off with candles and then move to the fireplace after you get the hang of the less intense visions."

Ron and Harry glanced at each other and rolled their eyes. Trelawney's inner eye indeed.

Ron stared into his candle. "I see orange. Maybe the Cannons will win a match this year."

Harry shook his head. "You're dreaming, Ron, not fire gazing."

"What do you see then?"

Harry stared into the flame, at first only seeing it flicker. Then suddenly, it seemed as if he fell into the flame.

Trelawney shrieked as Harry's eyes were once again leeched of color and the aura of a flame surrounded him.

_Harry found himself exactly where he had found himself the night before, and, if possible, the pain in his scar was worse than it had been then._

_Why am I back here again?_

_"Are you sure they're in there?"_

_"Y-yes.__ The werewolf won't leave the house in fear of hurting someone, and his friend won't leave him alone."_

_Harry felt like he was going to be sick, and there was a strange sort of whispering in his head. The world spun around him._

_"Are you sure they're in there?"_

_"Y-yes.__ The werewolf won't leave the house in fear of hurting someone, and his friend won't leave him alone."_

_Harry's body, unable to handle the pain any longer began to retch, and the whispers seemed louder in his head but jumbled. He could not tell what they were saying. The world spun again._

_"Are you sure they're in there?"_

_What's going on? Someone help me, please! I can't take this much longer._

_"Y-yes.__ The werewolf won't leave the house in fear of hurting someone, and his friend won't leave him alone._

_The whispers sounded like voices now, but Harry could not understand what they were saying. The words seemed to tumble on top of one another, and Harry was hit by another wave of vertigo._

_I have to get out of here. I have to get out. _

Harry gagged as his lungs drew in the perfumed air of the Divination tower.

Immediately, he was assaulted by voices demanding to know if he was all right, and he barely suppressed a moan of pain.

He pressed the palm of his hand firmly to his scar, and he felt it split open into a gaping gash.

Blood streaked down his face, and the room had lost its focus.

He collapsed, and his body began to convulse in some sort of seizure.

The darkness that descended upon him was not inviting like the night before. Instead it was crushing, bringing fresh waves of pain. The darkness was tightening upon him, choking him.

As if finally to bring some credibility to Trelawney and her profession, Harry Potter stopped breathing and lay as still as death.

Okay, don't kill me for the ending of the chapter. I promise I won't leave you like that for long. Don't worry, Harry will have a better time next chapter. I promise. He deserves a break.

baasheep: I hope you remember to review this chapter. Thanks for the words of encouragement.

angelhitomi: I continued. I hope you like this chapter too.

Fin-Phoenix: Your English looked just fine to me. I didn't banish the story, see.

Akiko SkywalkerGreenleafPotter: Thanks.

Corie: This soon enough?

ratgirl: I hope that it stays interesting for you.

Stonehenge: I'll hold you to reading more.

Litchy5: Yes, poor Harry. I like him, really. kelly: Hope I remembered to e-mail. and thanks.

Ariel: I did that on purpose. I figured no one would be reading this if they hadn't read the book.

I HAVE A DREAM: Wait no longer. It's here.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Okay, I must admit now to an error on my part. In 1995, Harry's fifth year, September 1 was a Friday. That means that the next day would have been a Saturday and there would have been no classes. However, for the continuity of this story, September 1 was a Thursday, meaning that the first day of classes is a Friday. Hey, pretend that it's magic. :)

Thanks again to all of the reviewers! The input helps a lot!

**Harry Potter and the Prophecy of the Phoenix - Chapter 3**

Harry burst back into consciousness, panting heavily as his hand flew to his throbbing scar only to find it bandaged once again. He had broken out into a cold sweat, reminding him of his reaction to dementors, and the room was spiraling hazily around him. Blindly, he reached for his glasses and slid them on. The world was still rocking, but at least now it was in focus.

"Goodness child, you shouldn't be up yet. Lie down immediately." Madam Pomfrey chided, helping Harry back into a supine position.

The dizziness had evolved into full-blown vertigo, causing Harry to close his eyes against his swirling surroundings and the nausea buzzing through his nervous system. Exhaustion began to wrap dark tendrils around his brain, pulling him into a state of slumber, when he heard his headmaster's voice calling softly to him.

Harry's eyelids rose wearily as the visage of Dumbledore danced in front of his eyes. The relief of the elder wizard was almost palpable, and Harry could just barely see the same glint of fear that had graced Dumbledore's eyes when his scar had first started bleeding.

"Welcome back, Harry. How do you feel?"

"Tired."

"I promise that I will let you rest soon, but first, you know what I must ask of you."

Once again, Harry found himself lamenting the age that had tarnished Dumbledore's eyes, but what he did not know was that Dumbledore was lamenting the same of him.

Taking a breath to steady himself, Harry let the words fall from his lips, "I was back at Professor Lupin's house before-" Harry's throat closed, and he could not bring himself to finish the thought.

Dumbledore's eyes locked with his, and Harry had the distinct impression that Dumbledore was peering into his very essence.

"I understand. Please continue."

"Something went really wrong. I kept hearing the conversation with Wormtail and Malfoy, and there were these voices in my head that I couldn't understand. And my scar hurt."

The last part of the statement was spoken more softly as if admission of his pain was a mere afterthought. Hope flickered through his headmaster's features for a fleeting moment, and Harry sensed that there was something that Dumbledore was not sharing with him.

A solemn air descended upon the hospital wing as Dumbledore spoke, seeming to choose his words carefully. "You gave us quite a scare Harry. You stopped breathing, and we almost were not able to revive you."

Harry's already pale features turned ashen. "Do you mean that I died?" The words came out in a choked whisper.

"No." Dumbledore's eyes were now burning with intensity. "As I said at the end of last year, there is no spell that can reawaken the dead, but it was close. You've been unconscious for almost twenty-four hours."

The silence of the room was intense and thick as Harry's mind whirled dangerously. His stomach was restating its threat to flip inside-out.

Then, Harry saw the corners of Dumbledore's lips twitching slightly as if he was trying to keep a straight face, but there was a mischievous glint to the aged headmaster that reminded Harry strongly of the Weasley twins.

"You might be interested to know that Professor Trelawney had all of the candles destroyed. She was muttering something about evil spirits disrupting the vibrations of the room."

Despite himself, Harry felt a small smile tug at his lips as his eyelids began to grow heavy.

Sensing the younger wizard's losing battle with exhaustion, Dumbledore smiled paternally, "I'll let you rest now. Take care of yourself, Harry. These meetings of ours are becoming too frequent for my liking."

Before Harry had a chance to voice his agreement, the slumber that had been lapping at the edges of his brain pulled him under.

Harry sighed with relief as he put the finishing touches on his Potions essay. He felt much improved from the previous day though his head was still buzzing and his normally untidy scrawl was borderline unreadable as his hand had been trembling slightly.

He had actually managed to get some rest before his nightmares came to assail him. Thankfully, Madam Pomfrey had been in another section of the hospital wing when he had startled out of his dream state. Otherwise, she would have been hovering over him like an overprotective mother hen.

All of the supplies that he needed to complete his homework had been left at his bedside, and Harry was willing to bet that Hermione was the one responsible. He was also willing to bet that it had been under Ron's protestation that she had done it.

He had just managed to put his ink and quill away before he heard his name squealed and found himself in a tight embrace. Harry put his arms around his friend as her form began to shudder and hitch with tears of relief.

"It's all right, Hermione. I'm fine." He met the eyes of his other best friend, whose face was paler than normal, to let him know that the statement was met for him as well.

An uneasy silence descended upon the group as Hermione composed herself and extracted herself from Harry's arms.

Unable to hold it in any longer, the words he had been dying to ask burst from Ron's lips, "Harry, what happened. One minute, you were staring into the candle, and the next, your eyes turned white and you were surrounded like what happened in the Great Hall. Your scar started bleeding, and I thought you were dead, and..."

Ron only stopped when Hermione placed a restraining hand on Ron's arm.

The blood had drained from Harry's face as he took in Ron's description of what had happened. In his discussions with Dumbledore, somehow the facts that his eyes had bleached and that he had been surrounded by flames had been neglected.

"Harry-" Hermione started before Harry interrupted.

"I'm fine." He was lying, and it was obvious that neither Ron nor Hermione accepted the words with any reassurance. Harry took a deep breath to steel himself and then continued, "I think that the two of you need to take a seat. There's a lot I need to tell you, and I need you to promise not to interrupt."

They both nodded, pulling up chairs as per his instructions.

Harry told them everything about what he saw in his visions both in the Great Hall and during Divination, omitting only the details involving the wandless magic and the unknown spell. For some reason, he could not bring himself to disclose that bit of information. A part of him lamented the fact that he had lost the ability to confide completely in his friends while the other part demanded secrecy. It was the same part that protected them from the information involving his summer holidays.

Hermione had squeaked as he revealed the fate of his godfather and their former professor, but she waited until he was finished to exclaim, "Oh, Harry!" and pull him into an embrace once more, crying freely.

Ron, like Harry, appeared to be fighting back tears.

It was not until Hermione pulled away that Ron found the words, "I'm sorry, mate."

The uneasy silence was taking a hold of the group once again, and for the first time, despite spending almost a decade of his life in the cupboard, Harry began to feel the slightest bit claustrophobic. He needed to be alone for a while.

"I'm really tired." He whispered finally.

It was a half-truth. Telling them had taken a lot out of him as if his emotional exertion was actually a physical one.

Though Ron was oblivious, Hermione caught the underlying meaning. She bid him a farewell and forced Ron to do the same before pulling Ron out of the hospital wing, and Harry barely caught the word "library" as they left.

Harry forced aside the slight dizzy spell he felt as he entered the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. He had just barely convinced Madam Pomfrey that he was well enough to attend classes, but she made him promise to return if he started to feel poorly.

As he entered the classroom, he felt the eyes of his classmates burn into him and heard an unfamiliar tenor voice speak, "You just made it on time, Mr. Potter. Please have a seat."

Harry took his customary seat next to Ron as he took his first good look at his new defense teacher.

What struck Harry the most was how ordinary he looked, not having the timid posture of Quirrell, not being incredibly handsome like Lockhart, not seeming incredibly ill like- Harry cut off that thought before he got to the name, and not having the facial scarring of impostor-Moody. His hair was sandy with a bit of gray peaking through, and his eyes were some nondescript color, coming closest to being defined as hazel. However, upon closer inspection, there was a glint of knowledge and experience in those otherwise indistinct eyes.

"Welcome to another year in Defense Against the Dark Arts. If you don't remember from the Welcoming Feast, I'm Professor Mundungus Fletcher."

Harry visibly started, having missed the name in his daze that first night and recognizing the name as one Dumbledore had instructed Sirius to inform of Voldemort's return.

Sirius.

This time he had been unable to curb his thoughts in time. The wound was still too new, and the memory of his godfather only served to rub salt into the open wound.

Forcing his inner turmoil into a far corner of his mind, he was able to bring his attention back to the classroom where Fletcher was taking role.

When he got to Harry's name, his eyes stopped on Harry a little longer than they had on the rest of the students, but, surprisingly, they did not do the customary flick to Harry's scar. It seemed as if he was taking in Harry himself instead of the legendary Boy-Who-Lived

It's because he knew my parents.

The thought shot through Harry's mind unwittingly. He was unsure as to where it came from, but he seemed to know that it was true.

Finished with the role, Fletcher half-leaned back against the front of his desk with his hands crossed casually against his chest. "Today we will be focusing on protective shielding, a general defense mechanism that will appear on your O.W.L.S. at the end of the year. Having said that, producing shields is one of the most advanced magical tasks that you will be asked to perform this year. I'm warning you all that this spell will require dedication and practice. I don't expect any of you to get much more than sparks this morning. Now, before we begin, can any of you tell me what some disadvantages of shields are?"

Hermione's hand shot up, waving slightly as if to attract the new professor's attention.

"Yes, Miss Granger?"

"It takes a lot of magical energy to keep the shields up, and in a duel it can tire a wizard before his opponent."

"Very good. That's why long-term shields are very seldom used in a duel. Can anyone think of another reason?"

Harry's hand went up slowly, earning him a smile from Fletcher.

"Go ahead, Mr. Potter."

"The shield can't block the Unforgivables."

"That's correct. Ten points to Gryffindor for both of your answers. Now, everybody stand up and spread out. Move your wand like this, and repeat after me. Armorum caeterus."

The room could have been filled with a room full of muggles waving fallen sticks from trees with two exceptions: Fletcher and Harry.

Harry felt as if he had just wrapped a warm cloak around himself, and his surroundings seemed slightly obscured through the translucence of his shield. Quickly, he broke the spell with a flick of his wand, feeling as if he had just completed a marathon.

If Madam Pomfrey ever found out, she would throw a fit.

Harry was acutely aware of the silence of the room and the eyes fixed upon him.

Why couldn't he ever be normal? Was it really too much to ask?

The end of the Defense Against the Dark Arts class could not come quickly enough for Harry. Fletcher had insisted that he sit out while the others continued to practice, and while Harry silently agreed that if he was to continue practicing, he would probably end up back in the hospital wing for exhaustion, that decision only served to enhance Harry's sensation of isolation. He could not remember a time when he so eager to get to History of Magic.

At least there, all he had to do was sit in the back and try not to fall asleep. There was nothing that could happen that could shine a spotlight on him.

Harry was poking at the food on his plate with his fork, not feeling the least bit hungry.

"Harry-"

"Don't start, Hermione."

Whatever response Hermione had formulated was interrupted as the Weasley twins suddenly took seats on either side of him, mischief dancing merrily over their identical features. Something was up.

"Ah, Harry. It's good to see you back." Fred started.

George wrapped a jovial arm around Harry. "You see, we have sort of a belated birthday present for you."

The looks on their faces clearly conveyed that this was more of a thank you present for the funding than a belated birthday gift.

"We've been waiting patiently for the grand unveiling of our new masterpiece."

"Keep an eye on the Slytherin table."

Harry's gaze naturally migrated to Malfoy, and even though he had been warned, he was not prepared for what happened.

There was a series of pops, and instead of the Slytherins, the table was suddenly occupied by a mass of bouncing ferrets.

There was a shocked silence in the Great Hall for a couple of seconds before it erupted with gales of laughter.

It had been a long time, too long of a time, since Harry had been able to laugh freely, and he realized how true his departing words had been to the twins. He snuck a look at the staff table to look at Dumbledore, who was trying and failing to conceal the humor he found in the situation. In fact, the only two people who managed to keep the stern expressions on their faces were McGonagall and Snape.

They all really did need the laugh.

As the Slytherins all began to change back, Ron, holding his sides from laughing so hard, managed to say, "That was bloody brilliant."

"Well, George, it looks like Ferret Fudge was a huge success."

George did not get a chance to respond before McGonagall was behind the two of them. "You two, come with me please."

As the twins were led away, Ron spoke, "I don't care how many points they lose. It was worth it."

The look in Hermione's eyes, the prefect look that looked frighteningly like Percy's, signaled that another argument was about to ensue.

The trio exchanged horrified glances as Hagrid approached the class with a rather large, moving box.

Ron gulped, "Hagrid, what's in there."

A broad smile spread across his face, "Serikits. I've got one fer each of the three of yeh to raise this year."

Hagrid opened the box, beaming paternally at the creatures before revealing them to the class.

"Aren't they beauts?"

Harry had another word in mind entirely to describe the creatures. They looked like large, furry-bodied lizards with bald heads and tails. If Harry did not know better, he would have sworn that they were a Transfiguration assignment gone wrong, and he was thankful that Hagrid already had the creatures leashed.

Hermione raised her hand timidly, "But Hagrid, aren't serikits poisonous?"

The class looked appalled as Hagrid answered, "Aye, but it won't kill yeh, jus' put yeh to sleep fer a few days. They don' really bite 'less they're provoked."

"They smell." Malfoy complained succinctly.

"Ah, that's cause they don' know yeh yet. They put out an odor fer protection."

_Great.__ Smelly poisonous animals. Well, at least they won't explode._

"How big are they going to get?" Neville questioned. He too was remembering their previous project.

"They're full-grown."

That was a small amount of relief, and most of the class released something that resembled a sigh.

"Now, I need yeh to get into groups o' threes and have someone come get one o' these fellas."

Seeing the looks of the other two, Harry reluctantly approached Hagrid. Smiling like a kid in a candy store, Hagrid handed Harry one of the leashes.

Soon the serikits were all handed out, but most of the groups had the serikit out long on the leash and were as far away from them as they could be. Hagrid did not seem to notice this reluctance.

"Al' righ' get to know 'em. Pet 'em."

"Pet them?" Ron repeated quietly as if he could not quite believe Hagrid had actually uttered the words.

Malfoy was louder and ruder about his dissension. "He wants us to touch these vile creatures?"

Malfoy's serikit seemed to understand exactly what he had said, and Harry could see it crouch into a position ready to pounce."

_"Stop!"_

The creature froze, and it was too late that Harry realized that he had spoken in Parseltongue. It was like second year all over again. Being a Parselmouth was associated with being a dark wizard, and even though everyone there knew about Harry's ability, he did not use it often. Thus, they had been taken by surprise at the hiss that had passed through Harry's lips.

_"Why? Someone needs to teach the brat some manners."_

_"Because the last animal that inflicted injury upon him was almost executed.__ He may be a brat, but he has a very influential father."_

Harry turned his attention to his rival, "If I were you Malfoy, I would treat him with a little more respect. He didn't take kindly to your rudeness."

Malfoy sneered at him, "I don't need your advice, Potter."

"Harry, are you mad?" Ron questioned. "You can't just go around speaking Parseltongue."

"It was an accident, Ron. Besides, I really don't see what the big deal is. Everyone here knows that I'm a Parselmouth."

"Because- because you just can't. It's not right."

"Ron-" Hermione warned.

"If you hadn't noticed, Ron, there are a lot of things about me that just aren't right. What's one more. I'm the bloody Boy-Who-Lived after all."

With that statement, Harry was pretty much silent for the rest of the class, and when Hagrid called Harry over after class, Harry waved them to go on without him.

"How're yeh doin', Harry?"

"I'm fine, Hagrid."

"I was a mite worried about yeh with what happened with yeh relatives an' all. If yeh ever need to talk..."

"Thanks, Hagrid, but I'm fine, really. I'll see you later."

"Al' right. Take care o' yourself."

Harry started to walk towards the castle but was intercepted by the last person that he wanted to see.

"Well, well, if it isn't Potty and without Mudblood and Weasel."

Harry could not find the words to respond as a wave of panic shot through him. Had Malfoy heard what Hagrid had said? Of course Hagrid had not said anything outright, but it would be enough for Malfoy to start circulating something.

"Maybe it's a good thing to get used to being alone. After all, my father says that the Dark Lord will go through anyone that he needs to in order to get to you."

"Stuff it Malfoy!" His anger was growing at an alarming speed.

Malfoy's eyes glittered coldly as he continued to push, saying much the same things as he had on the ride home last summer, knowing that the subject was still sore. "I wonder who he'll go after first. Probably the Mudblood. Wait, that's right. Diggory was the first one used to get to you, so that would make the Mudblood second."

Malfoy would have turned his lips into a victorious smirk at the look on Harry's face, but he found that he had no lips. Instead, a smooth expanse of skin covered the area that should have split into his mouth.

Two sets of eyes widened in disbelief, and Malfoy was making panicked guttural sounds while flailing his arms. Then, forgoing the Malfoy family dignity, he turned and raced toward the castle.

The rage that had been burning through him was now accompanied by astonishment and fear. What was happening to him? It was like he was having some sort of surge in his magical abilities, and he had just performed a charm that he didn't even know existed without his wand.

He began to run as well but away from the castle. He focused on the rhythmic pounding of his feet on the ground as if the physical content could protect him from his emotional upheaval.

He ran blindly, enjoying the sensation of the physical release. His mind went numb, unable to tolerate his wildly swirling thoughts any more, and it was with some surprise that Harry realized that he was no longer running.

He was flying.

**A/N:**

I'm so sorry that this took so long. School started, and I just did not like this chapter. I rewrote it three or four times. I'm now satisfied enough with it to post. I hope that you enjoy it, and I'll try to post in a more timely manner. Now for my reviewers.

Tanya: Oh, thank you so much. Yes, I am planning to continue. The next chapter is one that a lot of you have been waiting for.

Becki: It's not nice to grrr at the author. I agree that it's not fair, but that is unfortunately the nature of fanfiction.

The Game: Thank you. Sorry it took so long.

baasheep: I'm not allowed to hurt Harry? Oh dear, I think that I'm going to be hunted. By the way, thank you so much for adding me to your favorites. You're the first to ever do so. Wow. So, can I beg for an extraordinary third review?

angelhitomi: Thank you so very much.

Fin-Phoenix: Look see, the cliffie's not as bad this time, and you know that you love them.

ratgirl: I'm really afraid that this won't meet your standards of interesting, but the next chapter is better.

JaimeyKay: The answer to your question about our two favorite Marauders will be in the next chapter. I'm glad that you like the way I write Dumbledore. He and Snape are two of the hardest for me, and I hate it when fics go OOC.

Reiken: It's posted. I'll do better next time with the time between postings.

Akiko SkywalkerGreenleafPotter: As you can see, Harry is still alive, for now anyway.

Balizabeth: Please babble. I love long reviews, and you tend to get longer responses simply because you write more to respond to. I'm glad that it's believable. As for Ron and Hermione, I want him to tell to, but every time I write it, it just sounds wrong, so we'll just see where this story takes us.

Ariel: Okay, so now I added Draco into the roughness. Glad you liked it.

Cokefreak: Thanks!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Here's the next part. I'm sorry that it took so long, but I had other important things to do, like filling out medical school applications.

**Harry Potter: Prophecy of the Phoenix - Chapter 4**

The lack of ground beneath his feet jump-started Harry's mind. For a brief moment, he concluded that he somehow must have subconsciously cast a wandless levitation charm on himself, and then he noticed that his arms were no longer the correct configuration.

They had turned to wings

His... beak?... opened to express his utter disbelief, and the familiar timbre of the note that emerged from his vocal cords sent shivers up his avian spine.

Somehow in the raging winds of his emotional tumult, Harry had realized his potential to become an animagus.

He was a phoenix!

His mind erupted into several voices, each one demanding dominance, but the one that clawed its way to the front was laced with uncharacteristically innocent and buoyant enthusiasm.

_Wait till Sirius hears about this. It took him and my dad years to do this_.

Then reality hit him once again. Pushing away all of the voices, especially that whiny one nagging him about whether or not he would be able to resume his human form, he soared into the clouds, flight in this form coming as naturally to him as it had the first day he had climbed onto a broom.

If he had thought riding on his broom was exhilarating, then flying unfettered from any object was the closest to pure bliss than he had ever felt. He felt the burdens of his anxiety melt away as he simply let himself become swallowed by the blue-gray expanse of the September sky.

There was a tickle in the back of his mind that reminded Harry of a soft chuckle. Dismissing it as another one of his own internal voices, Harry startled when he heard distinct words resound in his head.

_"Hello, Harry. Having fun?"_

_"Fawkes?"_

Later, when Harry reflected on the experience, he would not be able to discern how he had known how to respond. He had just reacted on pure instinctive reflex.

_"Yes, Harry. I've been waiting for a long time for you to realize this piece of your destiny."_

_"What destiny?"_

_"I'm afraid that you must discover that for yourself."_

_He's spent way too much time with Dumbledore._

That thought Harry voiced only to himself, but with the apparent amusement on his fellow phoenix's features, Harry began to question whether Fawkes had heard it after all.

Suddenly, the amusement fled, and Fawkes became frighteningly serious. Harry felt a foreboding tingle travel through his nervous system.

_"Harry, I need you to listen to me carefully. You must tell no one about this: not your friends, not your teachers, and not even Dumbledore. Your life depends on this form of yours remaining in complete secrecy. Do you understand?"_

_"Yes, but-"_

_"Your friends will begin to worry. Do not fret my young friend, we will speak again."_

Fawkes flew back towards the castle, leaving Harry a bit exasperated and wondering why no one would tell him anything, especially about himself. It was not as if Harry had ever had a normal childhood that he could remember.

Both with the Dursleys and with his experiences at Hogwarts, Harry had felt the need to grow up faster than his peers had. He wished that just once someone who knew the answers would see fit to confide in him the whole truth instead of falling back onto the excuse of his limited years.

He landed in an isolated and visibly obscured area of the Hogwarts grounds.

That panicked and whiny voice questioning his ability to revert to his human form was now back with a vengeance.

In all honesty, Harry did not know what to do. It was his subconscious that had invoked the first transformation, and his conscious mind was now in charge, completely devoid of any knowledge about how to accomplish the task at hand.

Harry closed his eyes, forcing a false calm into his body in an attempt to ignore the dire predictions of his own self-doubt. He brought the mental image of himself encapsulated in his human body to the forefront of his thoughts, and he focused on it with a silent prayer that he was doing the right thing.

The sensation was utterly foreign and borderline painful as his body began to stretch and his internal structure began to rearrange themselves. A small part of Harry's mind broke concentration to wonder how he had not felt the equivalent changes in that first transformation.

He lost his focus with a gasp. His legs seemed a bit unsteady beneath him, and his arms seemed sore from flying.

Supporting himself against a tree as his legs righted themselves, a strange sensation gripped Harry. Even though he had spent fifteen years in his present form, it seemed suddenly wrong as if his human form fit him as well as his cousin's clothes.

The sensation faded, lasting for that one inconsequential moment, as his legs grew sure about their ability to support his weight.

Sighing and looking up longingly at the sky, Harry began to head toward the castle.

McGonagall gasped as she saw Remus Lupin stumble through the secret entrance that connected Hogwarts to the Shrieking Shack with a rather large black dog at his heels. Immediately, she was at his side, maneuvering the werewolf so that she was supporting part of his weight.

"I need to see Dumbledore."

McGonagall did not like her former pupil and fellow teacher's coloring at all, mentally gaping at how sick he looked before reminding herself that the full moon had only been a few days before and that he had probably not been able to get proper rest nor nourishment since that time.

Wondering whether she should be leading him to the hospital wing instead as they began the trip to the headmaster's office, McGonagall managed to speak her relief. "It's good to see you, Remus. We feared that you were dead." Then, after glancing around the corridor quickly to make sure that they were indeed alone, she added, "It's good to see you too, Sirius."

The black dog that had not left Remus's side gave a yelp of surprise and alarm.

The very tips of McGonagall's lips were quivering almost-invisibly at the reaction.

"Circumstances arose such that I had to be let in on your little secret." She forced her stern countenance to hold as she continued, "Honestly. The lot of you becoming animagi in your fifth year. Perhaps the hardest transfiguration to be performed, and you never felt it necessary to let your teacher share in the pride in your accomplishment."

"I'm not an animagus" Remus protested.

"No, but you knew about it, which is just as bad. Ferret Fudge."

The climb up the staircase was slow, but the trio finally arrived outside the office door.

A flash of surprise followed by a flash of relief flooded Dumbledore's features as the group entered.

Seeing that they were the only occupants in the room, Sirius resumed his human form, helping McGonagall guide his friend into a chair before collapsing into one himself.

The pair of Marauders soon found their hands cradling warm cups of tea as a pair of cerulean eyes passed over them quickly.

"Are the two of you all right?"

Both nodded though it was obvious that they were both exhausted.

"Minerva, will you please go fetch Harry? This will be quite a load off his mind."

"Of course." She responded before making a crisp exit.

Sirius's eyes had narrowed slightly as he sensed something of importance underlying the headmaster's request. "What happened?"

"I believe that it is I who should be asking you that question." Dumbledore's eyes gleamed wildly for a minute before turning serious. "Harry had a vision and was quite convinced that the two of you were dead. I hoped that he was mistaken since he did not actually see you in the house, but there was no proof to the contrary. The destruction to the house was so complete that retrieving bodies would have been impossible, and Harry's violent reactions to the visions seemed to support his claim."

"Is he all right." Lupin spoke up, just beating Sirius to the same question. He looked and felt much better than he had only a few minutes ago and was almost certain that Dumbledore had slipped something into the tea.

"That, I fear, is much too complicated a question to answer at the present time though, if questioned, I'm sure that he would tell you that he's fine."

Dumbledore paused, and both of the younger men understood the elder's silent message that he did not believe Harry's self-diagnosis.

"Now, I need the two of you to tell me what happened."

Sirius was looking anxiously at the door as if he was debating whether or not to rush through it and find his godson himself.

"We were in the woods when we heard what sounded like an explosion. When we rushed back to the house, we found it burning, and the Dark Mark was hovering overhead."

Eyes still flickering towards the door, Sirius continued the narrative, sounding distracted.

"There was a strange breeze, and the flames died suddenly."

"We knew that a team from the Ministry would be there shortly, and with the corruption in the Ministry, we were afraid that the members of the team would be Death Eaters sent with the task to make sure that we were actually dead. After all, no one would probably think twice if they killed a werewolf and an escaped convict out of 'self-defense.'"

The last phrase was intoned with bitterness at the wizarding world's known bigotry towards lycanthropes.

"So we made a run for it and headed towards Hogwarts." Sirius finished, obviously wondering why the door had yet to open.

"Sorry it took so long, but I was still weak from my transformation and slowed us down."

"That's quite all right. All that matters is that the two of you got here safely."

That said, the door to the office opened.

Harry had no sooner stepped through the front doors of the castle than he was met by his head of house.

"There you are, Potter. Professor Dumbledore needs to see you immediately. Come with me."

Harry forced himself to suppress a groan.

Malfoy.

He had completely forgotten about what he had done to Malfoy.

Reluctantly, he followed McGonagall to the stone gargoyle, a smile flitting briefly across his face as he heard her speak the password. He trudged up the stairs and stepped into the office, as McGonagall ushered him in, ready to apologize.

The apology died on his lips as he stopped short and his eyes took in the other occupants of the room. His brain was shouting furiously at him that somehow his eyes were playing a cruel trick on him.

Sirius had risen in alarm as he had gotten a look at his godson, who looked thinner and even more haunted than the last time he had seen him. "Harry?"

As his brain finally accepted the information his eyes were sending it, Harry found his feet suddenly as heavy as lead and his vocal cords paralyzed.

_How? How is this possible?_

The question reverberated inside his skull as he tried in vain to make his lips echo his internal question.

His scar seared sharply as if the question itself had triggered something, and as the room began to lose focus, he knew that the vision was going to take him again. The last things that he was consciously aware of were the muffled sounds of his name being called in alarm and a warm weight landing on his shoulder.

_"Are you sure that they're in there?"_

_"Y-yes.__ The werewolf won't leave the house in fear of hurting someone, and his friend won't leave him alone."_

_The pressure inside his skull began to increase as the whispers began to fill his head. He cried out in pain, not understanding why he was back here if Sirius and Lupin were still alive._

_"Relax your mind, Harry. Don't fight it. Let yourself hear what you need to hear."_

_The voice sounded extraordinarily like Fawkes's._

_Harry closed his eyes and tried to control his breathing. The whispers began to coalesce into one audible voice, and Harry was struck by a fiery burst of pain._

_Then Harry heard Wormtail's voice again, but they were words that had never been spoken aloud._

_This is it, Potter. From now on I am no longer in your debt. I saved their miserable lives like you saved mine. Now I can be free to serve my master. Sweet Merlin. He's going to kill me for this._

_Wormtail knew. Harry realized. He knew they weren't in the house. He suddenly realized that the Death Eaters were gone and saw for the first time the double pair of canine eyes taking in the ruins._

_"Come back now, Harry. That is what you were meant to see."_

Harry blinked, returning to Dumbledore's office, noticing that he was still on his feet though his balance seemed precarious and his thoughts seemed a bit cloudy. The pain in his scar was sharp but surprisingly manageable, and he was fairly certain that the lack of extreme reactions had something to do with the phoenix on his shoulder.

Harry felt a trembling hand on his back and realized that his godfather was guiding him to the chair that Sirius had previously occupied. Momentarily, Harry flashed back to the night of the third task.

If anything, Sirius looked more frightened now, and his eyes were glued to the mark of the storm that adorned Harry's brow on which beads of crimson were gleaming menacingly.

"Harry, your scar is bleeding." Sirius's voice was intoned with a soft horror, and Dumbledore and McGonagall moved closer at the words, knowing implications the words held from previous experience.

Still in a daze himself, he reached up with a slight tremor of his hand and found that once again his scar had opened, but the bleeding did not seem as profuse as before.

He opened his mouth to reassure the worried adults, but a note from Fawkes interrupted him and seemed to vibrate across the room as the phoenix hopped from Harry's shoulder to his head. Gently, the bird pressed his cheek against Harry's forehead and let a pearly tear fall onto the open scar.

Harry was almost sure that he heard a hissing sound as light magic collided with dark, and he could not suppress a gasp as the pain faded back to its normal background level.

The fog around his brain began to clear as well.

"Harry, what happened? Are you okay?" Sirius had broken through his state of shock and had evolved into a state of panic.

Sweet Merlin, he was tired of people asking him that question. He had faced Voldemort four times in his lifetime, and he had managed to survive every one of them. He was sick of people treating and looking at him as if he was a fragile piece of china about to crumble into a million pieces.

Instead of answering the proposed question, he ignored his growing frustration and turned his gaze to Dumbledore while Fawkes resumed his perch on Harry's shoulder.

"Do you remember telling me at the end of my third year that someday I would be glad that I saved Wormtail's life?"

Dumbledore nodded, his silence speaking volumes.

"You were right."

Dumbledore's cerulean eyes darted to each of the Marauders before meeting Harry's eyes again, which he was pleasantly surprised to find specks of emerald amongst the lifeless gray, and Harry knew that he understood.

Sirius was looking back and forth between his godson and headmaster impatiently, waiting for one of them to explain exactly what happened, and to make matters worse, there was an understanding glint in Lupin's eyes as if he understood, at least in part, what was going on.

Harry turned his attention to his godfather and former professor, and Sirius got the impression that suppressed tears were glittering in Harry's eyes.

"Wormtail knew that the two of you weren't in that house. He saved your lives to repay the wizard's debt that he owed me." His eyes became brighter as the battle against his own tears intensified. "I thought-"

Sirius did not let him get any further as he pulled Harry into a protective embrace.

For a moment, Harry was surprised. Though he had known Sirius since the end of his third year, his godfather had never hugged him before.

Last year with Mrs. Weasley's embrace, he had finally known what it felt like to be hugged by a mother, and now he knew what it felt like to be hugged by a father. His barriers began to fall, but he found himself unable to cry.

Releasing Harry reluctantly, Sirius spoke, "I'm just fine." A mock-irritated clearing of a throat brought a smile to Sirius's face, "And so is Moony though he doesn't look it."

"Thanks a lot, Padfoot." Lupin grumbled good-naturedly.

"Hey, have you looked in a mirror lately?"

"I could ask you that same question."

Eyes twinkling with merriment, Dumbledore interrupted the pair's banter.

"All right you two, that's enough. Minerva, could you please take Remus to Madam Pomfrey and then make sure they both get a decent meal. I need to speak with Harry alone for a moment. Sirius, do you need medical attention?"

Sirius shook his head, and Harry looked at the pair reluctantly.

"Don't worry, Harry. You'll have plenty of opportunity to speak with them later." Dumbledore reassured him.

"I'll see you later, Harry." Sirius promised, also appearing reluctant at the separation, before transforming back into the large black dog and following the other two out of the office.

As soon as they had left, Dumbledore took a seat behind his desk, and Harry began to feel a bit anxious.

"Madam Pomfrey reported to me that Mr. Malfoy came in with a rather peculiar ailment."

"Is he all right, professor?"

"Madam Pomfrey was able to reverse the process, but she had to be creative in her treatment. I'm afraid that Mr. Malfoy's lips will be quite swollen for the next couple of days."

"I'm sorry." Harry spoke quickly, "He started taunting me about Cedric and my friends, and it just happened. I didn't even touch my wand."

Dumbledore sat forward urgently, "Are you sure, Harry?"

Harry nodded, intimidated and awed by his headmaster's intensity.

Dumbledore sat back and stroked the whiskers on his chin thoughtfully, plunging the room into silence.

Harry shifted nervously, hoping that maybe he would be finally supplied with some answers.

Dumbledore spoke a mere instant before Harry prompted him. "I've been hearing reports from your professors that you've made remarkable progress."

He paused, and Harry knew that once again Dumbledore was choosing his words carefully, deciding what he should reveal.

"Harry, I've sensed a great magical potential in you since the first time we met. Perhaps you are finally tapping into that potential. Although I am certain that Mr. Malfoy goaded you into your reaction, I must ask you to proceed with more caution from now on. If at any time you feel as if your powers have gotten out of your control, you are to see me immediately. Failure to do so could potentially put yourself and others in danger."

"I will. I promise."

"Very well. Now, may I suggest that you join your classmates in the Great Hall. I'm sure that Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger will be just as relieved to know that Sirius and Remus are indeed alive, and it looks as if you could use a decent meal as well."

Harry stood, uncomfortable with his headmaster's reference to his weight loss, and Fawkes flew to his perch.

"Yes, sir."

"Oh, and Harry, this bit of parchment was found among the impostor Moody's possessions, and I believe that it belongs to you."

A jolt of excitement shot through him as the Marauder's Map was returned to his possession. It had become one of his most prized possessions, and he had missed it greatly.

"Thank you."

Dumbledore offered him a small smile in acknowledgement.

Pocketing the map, Harry exited quickly as Dumbledore's eyes followed the younger wizard's form, wondering how such a large burden could be placed on such young shoulders.

"Where have you been?" Hermione demanded as Harry took a seat next to her.

A smile graced his features as he spoke loudly enough only for Hermione and Ron's earshot, "I was talking to Sirius and Professor Lupin."

They began to respond loudly, but Harry hushed them quickly, explaining to them the rest of the story regarding the pair of Marauders. They both looked disturbed at the mention of his latest vision.

Ron looked as if he needed to change the subject, and after a moment of silence and a glance across the Great Hall, he found the words.

"Hey, Harry," Ron spoke cautiously, uncertain whether or not Harry was still upset over the incident during Care of Magical Creatures, "have you seen Malfoy?"

Harry's eyes strayed to the Slytherin table. Dumbledore had not been exaggerating. Malfoy's lips resembled two very large and purple sausages. Guilt and amusement swirled through him at the same time.

"It's almost as good as the Ferret Fudge. I wonder how Fred and George managed it."

Harry placed a bite of potato in his mouth, not seeing the need to correct his friend's misjudgment.

_"Kill the Spare."_

_Harry winced as Cedric's lifeless eyes gazed up at him._

_Harry's scar suddenly erupted with pain, and a heavy gray mist began to wrap itself tightly around him, choking him. Harry's eyes began to water, and his respirations were wheezy. Just when he was sure that he was going to die of asphyxiation, the mist began to dissipate._

_"Wormtail."_

_Voldemort was standing in a location that Harry did not recognize with Lucius Malfoy at his side._

_"Y-yes, my L-lord."__ Wormtail stammered._

_He knows!_

_Harry started as Wormtail's thought was heard clearly in his head. Somehow the connection from the vision earlier was still active._

_"Lucius informs me that his son saw a certain pair of individuals at Hogwarts that I ordered to be killed a few nights ago. If I didn't know better, I would say that you did it on purpose."_

_"N-no.__ Of c-course not, M-master."_

_Please don't kill me!_

_"No, you're not strong enough to disobey me. Still, you must be punished. Lucius has already suffered for his failure."_

_Voldemort's red eyes were emblazoned with anger, and Wormtail was petrified in both body and mind._

_"Crucio!"_

_Wormtail screamed with an awful high-pitched voice, and Harry's own screams soon intermingled with them. It felt as if he was under the curse himself, as if his link to _

_Wormtail's thoughts allowed him to share equally in the pain, and he was certain that his scar was going to split open again._

_Just when the pain threatened to drown him, he heard the soft notes of the phoenix songs. _

_He grabbed onto it as if it was a lifeline, and the melody grew louder until it surrounded him instead of the scenes of torture._

Harry awoke, but the sound of the song was still loud in his ears, and Fawkes was nowhere to be seen.

He felt an invisible pull to go somewhere, and that pull increased in intensity along with the song until he knew that he had no choice but to follow it.

Silently, Harry gathered both his invisibility cloak and the Marauder's Map, wrapping himself in the cloak and not bothering to pause even as he crawled through the portrait hole with the Fat Lady demanding to know who was leaving.

He simply knew that there was somewhere that he had to be.

A/N: I'm so sorry about the horribly cliched animagus form, but it had to be done. It is vital for the ending of the story. Thanks for making it all the way through. Your reviews are what are keeping me going. Though they're not required for a new posting, they are really appreciated.

**becki****- **I hope that this satisfies your fix. Fan club:) I don't think that that's necessary, but thanks.

**Arizosa**- Evil and brilliant... that's always a scary combination. Thanks.

**solid**- I'm glad that you thought it was cool. I hop that you're still alive.

**Acacia Jules**- I'm glad that you like my version of Harry. He has some issues to work out.

**Wink At J00**- I know that Tenchi is animae (forgive spelling if incorrect). One of my best friends watches it, but I'm afraid that I don't know much. You were right. Harry is flying.

**valeries26**- I hope that the e-mail helped. I hurried as fast as I could.

**Serry**- Yay! I'm glad that you enjoyed that part. I've wanted to do that for a long time.

**baasheep**- Okay, I'm asking again. Review #4, please? I personally was not fond of the chapter, but your strong encouragement surely helped to write this one. Thank you.

**angelhitomi**- If you look at the time line, it did come out sooner. Everyone cheer.

**Nicky**- Very good. That's what you were supposed to get. Is everything clearer now?

**Ariel**- Oh dear. I hope that you don't forget permanently. Your review just took me away. Thank you so much. I'm sorry that Dumbledore won't reveal everything, but as you can see, he does know something.

**usakoesm**- Someone else who understands my humor! Oh thank you! I love that invention as well.

**sk8reagle**- Interesting good or interesting bad?

**Kathleen**- Yes, flying "Harry"s are good.

**Esperanza**- Unfortunately, his dreams are not going to get better, at least for a while.

**whiterose**- Thank you.

**Sunkist**- Original? Are you sure? I thought that it was just your everyday normal fifth year fic. Thank you. I promise to stop by your bio page and leave you a review.


	5. Chapter 5

AN: I bet you guys all thought that I died or something. I know that you don't want my excuses, so let's just say that I had a major case of writer's block until about 1:00 am a few nights ago. I hope that you enjoy this, so please forgive me and read and review.

**Harry Potter and the Prophecy of the Phoenix - Chapter 5**

The corridors were eerily deserted as Harry crept quietly through them, shrouded under his invisibility cloak with only the sound of the phoenix song in his head and the undeniable pull to guide him. The rest of his senses seemed muted as if he was walking numbly through a thick fog.

The sensation of the pull began to change, becoming uncomfortable like something was crawling under his skin, and the song started to become garbled. He snapped out of his daze as he started to take another step and felt a flash of pain.

His foot jerked back as Harry gasped in surprise. His fragile grip on awareness was slipping, and as he made the realization that he had never seen this part of the castle before, instinct took over again.

Glancing at the Marauders Map to ensure that he was indeed alone, Harry or whatever was controlling him removed his invisibility cloak. Both the map and the cloak shrunk to the size of knuts in his hands, and Harry stuffed them unceremoniously into one of his pockets before his conscious mind could begin an internal argument about whether Harry had actually shrunk the items himself or if there was some greater magic at work.

The transformation into his animagus form happened as easily as it had earlier, and once again the song became consonant in his ears with the pull gaining in intensity.

With a note of response echoing in the deserted corridors, Harry took off into the air, flying quickly towards the source.

There was a strange but not unpleasant tingling sensation that ran through him as he passed through a magical barrier of some kind.

The corridor had opened into a large room. The amount of magic that the room was exuding was breathtaking, and the walls provided the only light source in the room, glowing as if there was some sort of internal fire captured inside of them.

_"Harry."_

Fawkes's call broke the spell of mesmerization that the room had placed on him. Spotting his fellow phoenix, Harry swooped gracefully to share his perch.

_"Welcome to the Phoenix Chamber."_

At least a thousand questions flooded through Harry's mind, but before he had a chance to communicate any of them, the familiar voice of his headmaster broke through his internal tumult.

"Ah, I see Fawkes brought a friend. Welcome to the Order."

For the first time Harry noticed that the perch was magically suspended above a large round table, which was giving off a very old and powerful magical signature of its own, and there was some part of him that felt as if he should recognize it.

Around the table in addition to Dumbledore sat the entire teaching staff of Hogwarts, Sirius, Lupin, Moody, a woman who seemed familiar but who he could not place, Arthur, Molly, Bill, and Charlie Weasley, and a few others that Harry did not recognize.

There was also a conspicuously empty seat, and Harry felt his eyes drawn to it. His was not the only gaze drawn to the chair as a pair of wizened blue eyes bathed in regret were locked onto it as well.

A gruff voice broke the silence that had fallen over the room, "Albus, you should invite the Potter boy down. It is his rightful place."

Dumbledore took his eyes off of the vacant chair, and the characteristic twinkle was absent from them, "Harry has lost most of his childhood, Alastor. I will not take away what precious little he has left."

Harry felt a rush of guilt at going against his headmaster's strong convictions, but there was something else, something foreign yet vaguely familiar. He just could not place his finger on it.

_"You were called, Harry. You need to be here despite Albus's good intentions."_

There was an obvious hint of irritation in Moody's response, "You can't avoid the prophecy simply by keeping him from joining the Order."

Harry's emotions switched from guilt to curiosity and irritation of his own. He was tired of everyone hiding things from him in order to protect him from it. For once he wanted to know what was going on.

_"What prophecy?"_

_"I told you before, Harry, that you must discover your destiny for yourself."_

Dumbledore obviously chose to ignore Moody's last statement as he turned his attention to another member at the table.

"How are you faring, Severus?"

"I still don't get told much. Voldemort does not trust me yet despite the tests he's put me through."

It was obvious from the bitterness in Snape's voice that the tests had not been particularly pleasant.

Once again, Harry the foreign sensation washed over him. It was not painful, but it was certainly uncomfortable, almost like an itch that had spread over his entire body. His feathers ruffled in an automatic response, and he felt the attention of the room fleetingly shift to him before returning to the meeting with a single exception.

_"Harry?"_

_"Something's wrong. I don't know how to describe it."_

Fawkes's tone took on a softer timbre that seemed almost somber.

_"It's guilt, Harry. I thought you of all people would recognize it. I've sensed the same in you since our first meeting though you had buried it much deeper then. Like you, Albus feels the weight of the Wizarding World on his shoulders, and sometimes that requires sacrifices or requests of sacrifices."_

_"Like asking Snape to return to the Dark Lord as a spy."_

_"Yes."_

_"But, how can I... I mean..."_

Harry could not find the words to properly express his question, but Fawkes intuited his intentions.

_"There are many things about your animagus form that you have yet to discover. All phoenixes have the ability to sense strong emotions. It's gift that allows us to be where we are needed in times of distress. As you were told, your strong sense of loyalty was how I found you in the Chamber of Secrets your second year."_

Tucking that tidbit of information away for questioning at a later time, Harry looked at Dumbledore as if with new eyes. Never before had his headmaster looked so human, yet never had Harry admired him more.

In his second year, Harry had become aware of the similarities between himself and the man who would become Lord Voldemort, but for the first time in a flash of empathy, he could see the parallels between Dumbledore and himself. He could see that Dumbledore did not want the responsibility that had been thrust upon him but had accepted the burden out of necessity.

Harry broke himself out of his musings and returned his attention to the meeting at the mention of the pair of Marauders' names.

"Sirius, Remus, I'd like the two of you to remain at Hogwarts for awhile. Voldemort used you to get to Harry once before, and he will not hesitate to use you again besides the fact that when he discovers that you are alive, he will not take the failure well."

Both looked like they were about to argue, but Dumbledore continued before they could.

"There's plenty that you can do for the Order here, and right now with Fudge denying that Voldemort has indeed returned, you two are too highly valued to be placed in undue risk. Severus, this will mean that you will have a potion to brew again."

Snape nodded tersely, and for a moment there was clearly some underlying hostility being exuded by both Snape and Sirius.

"Very well, ladies and gentlemen, if you are all clear on what we have to do and there is nothing to add, let us adjourn for now. Barring any sort of emergency, we shall meet again in a week's time."

The chamber began to empty quickly and solemnly, not unlike the dungeons after a particularly difficult Potions exam, as all were cloaked under the weight of reality. Such a weight tends to paralyze tongues and release the mind's inner voices instead.

Dumbledore was the last of the humans to stand, rising slowly as would be expected of his old age but was uncharacteristic of him.

_"I'll see you in the headmaster's office in a few minutes, Harry."_

_"Why?"_

_"Don't you think that you ought to tell him about your dream?"_

The question was obviously rhetorical, leaving Harry to stupidly reply only with an "oh" as Fawkes left the perch to settle on Dumbledore's shoulder. With a sigh, Dumbledore left the room stroking the phoenix's plumage absently, leaving Harry alone.

Now that the room was emptied, he could sense what he could only describe as magical echoes in the energy of the chamber, and the same instinct that had drawn him to a conclusion in Defense Against the Dark Arts led him to a similar conclusion.

His parents had been here.

A scene flittered through his mind, but it went by so quickly that he could make no sense of it. He could only sense that it concerned his parents and that it was important.

He tried to concentrate, to bring the scene back to the forefront of his mind, but the attempts were fruitless. Voicing a single mournful note he ascended from his perch after crossing through the magical barrier, he navigated the corridors until he reached the spot where he had undergone his initial transformation to repeat the process in the opposite direction.

Once again human, Harry fished out the shrunken invisibility cloak and the Marauder's Map and held them in the palm of his hand. Experimenting, Harry stared at the objects before closing his eyes tightly in concentration, willing them to return to their normal sizes.

He opened his eyes to find the objects still the size of coins. Sighing in a mixture of relief and annoyance, Harry pulled out his wand, speaking the words, "_Finite Incantum._"

This time, the objects expanded, and Harry wrapped himself in the cloak, using the map to first navigate through the unfamiliar areas and then to make sure that he did not run into anyone, especially Filch and Mrs. Norris.

Soon, he was sanding in front of the gargoyle. Removing his cloak and praying that Dumbledore had not change his password from before, Harry uttered, "Ferret Fudge."

The passage opened begrudgingly as if the gargoyle was upset at Harry's prior knowledge, and a small vindictive part of Harry could not help but feel a bit triumphant over his easy victory.

Once outside the headmaster's door, a hint of nervousness began to bubble in the pit of his stomach. He rapped softly, and the door opened shortly after.

He stepped inside only to find Dumbledore at work behind his desk. Apparently, Voldemort's return had not just disrupted Harry's sleeping patterns.

As Dumbledore looked up, surprise briefly took over his features before he could compose himself.

"Harry, what can I do for you?"

"I had a dream." The effects of the dream were beginning to catch up with him, perhaps delayed by his transformation into his animagus form, and he could feel a slight tremor move through his nervous system.

"I see. Have a seat. Are you all right?"

Harry nodded, taking his usual seat.

"Voldemort knows that Sirius and Professor Lupin are alive. Malfoy saw them in the castle and reported it to his father."

Dumbledore briefly pinched the bridge of his nose as if that could resolve some of the internal pressure in his head.

"I was hoping that we would have a little more time before that information came to light. What else did you see?"

"Wormtail was punished with the Cruciatus for failing, but Voldemort thought he was too weak to have done anything on purpose."

Now that he was retelling it, the images and his own strange experience were flashing back in his head, and he felt a stronger stinging in his scar. He rubbed at it as if he could massage away the pain as his lowered his eyes to continue.

"I don't know how, but the connection that Wormtail and I had earlier was still there. I could still hear his thoughts, and when Voldemort cast the Cruciatus I felt it as if he had

cast it on me."

Immediately, Dumbledore was out of his chair and at Harry's side. Gentle fingers brushed back Harry's bangs and lowered his hand that was still rubbing at the discomfort to expose the scar.

Harry forced himself to meet his headmaster's eyes as Dumbledore offered him a brief smile that they both knew was only a mask concealing his true emotions.

"It's not so bad, only a little swollen. How long did he hold the curse?"

"I don't know." Harry responded honestly. "It felt like forever."

"In that case, I think that we should take a trip to the Hospital Wing just to make sure that everything is all right. The Cruciatus can have some tricky side-effects."

Before Harry could argue, Dumbledore had helped him out of the chair and was guiding him in the direction of the Hospital Wing.

Harry entered the dungeons feeling slightly on-edge. After all, it was the first Potions lesson since that fateful first class when Snape had forcefully exposed Harry's secret, and the note from Sirius, delivered at breakfast and burning in his pocket requesting Harry to join the Marauders on the third floor for dinner, only increased his nervousness.

He just wanted the problems with his relatives to go away.

Snape glared at Harry as usual, but Harry seemed to sense something of a reluctance about him.

What Harry did not know and probably would never know was that Snape had stormed to Dumbledore's office, demanding to know how Harry had been allowed to live with his relatives and demanding that Harry find another residence for the summer.

Dumbledore's assurances that Harry had been removed from the Dursleys' care did little to appease the dark look on the Potion Master's face, which only hardened upon hearing that Harry had refused to press charges.

There was still a fury raging inside of him, but most of this was self-directed. He of all people should have caught the signs, but he had allowed his dislike of the father to cloud his perception of the son. Now Snape was loathe to admit that perhaps his dislike of the Boy-Who-Lived may have stemmed from the fact the Harry reminded him a little too much of himself.

A low growl actually left his lips as he swept to the front of the room, determined to ignore his growing frustration.

Harry could not explain it, but it felt as if suddenly a cold stone had landed in his stomach and began to spread in a sense of foreboding.

"Today you will attempt to make the Gravidus Maladus potion. This potion is only to be given as a last resort to someone very close to death. Otherwise, the potion may cause more harm than good."

Snape's scowl deepened as his gaze landed upon Neville.

"This potion is extremely complicated, and I doubt many of you will have anything more than pitiful attempts except those of you who have any sort of talent."

Out of habit, his eyes moved to Malfoy, whose lips were still ridiculously swollen.

"Begin."

Harry's potion was coming along nicely, and he was chopping up his Mandrake Root when the pieces rearranged themselves into the words, "I know."

The blood drained from Harry's face as he quickly scrambled the words back into indistinct pieces and looked up to see the malicious glint in Malfoy's eyes, knowing that the swelling was hiding a victorious smirk.

Harry's heart was pumping too quickly, and blood was rushing too loudly in his ears, throwing off his equilibrium and making him feel a bit queasy.

The rational part of his mind tried to tame the cacophony in his mind by attempting to reason with the panicked part of his psyche that Hagrid had not been specific and that there was no way that Malfoy could know everything. However, the panicked part of his mind did not care whether or not Malfoy knew everything. It was content with continuing its panicked state simply due to the distinct possibility that Malfoy knew something.

"POTTER!"

Harry started only to find that his pumpkin-orange potion had turned into a sickly green and was boiling over his cauldron.

Quickly, Harry added the root, and the potion sizzled and settled into a blood-red.

The damage had been done.

Not only was his potion irreparably ruined, but also Snape was absolutely furious.

"Of all the imbecilic things to do! Even Longbottom has managed to keep his potion in the cauldron! That's thirty points from Gryffindor for your egregious ineptitude! Clean up this mess, and I'll see you later for detention!"

Harry nodded dumbly without meeting Snape's eyes as he began to mop up the mess.

The Slytherins' snickers rang loudly in his head, and he was waging an internal battle against the flashbacks that had pushed themselves to the forefront of his mind.

He was not sure how much time had passed before he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder. He jerked away from it to find himself staring into Hermione's concerned and surprised expression.

"Harry, class is over. It's time to go to Transfiguration."

He nodded mutely and gathered his things as Ron questioned, "What happened?"

Harry's eyes darted quickly to see the victory written over Malfoy's facade before firmly voicing, "Nothing."

Transfiguration had gone pretty much without incident except once again Harry had managed to perform the task in his first shot, and McGonagall, sensing that something had run amiss in Potions, had spoken softly to him, telling him that his father had possessed a particular knack for Transfiguration as well.

A genuine smile had alighted upon his face and some of the panic had settled back inside of him to be released at a later date.

Presently, Professor Trelawney was looking at him as if she expected him to either drop dead or burst into fits at the drop of a hat.

"My dears, my inner eye has told me that we should discontinue fire gazing until a later date and that we should return to our crystal balls."

Ron rolled his eyes at Harry, both knowing exactly why she had desired to forego the fire gazing.

Harry stared into the crystal ball, watching the patterns in the mist and smiling as Ron made his customary weather predictions. He was quite taken aback as the mist wrapped around him as it had in his dream.

_His scar burst with pain as the room came into focus, and he knew immediately that Voldemort was there._

_"Ah, Severus.__ It's good to see you again. You will be glad to know that after tonight you will either be welcomed into my inner circle or you will be dead."_

_"What must I do, My Lord?"_

_Voldemort produced a goblet. "I assume that you are familiar with the Infidelis Mortis Potion."_

_Harry had come across the potion in his nighttime reading. The Infidelis Mortis Potion tested the loyalty of one wizard to another. If the wizard was loyal, there would be no observable effect, but if the wizard was disloyal, he would die a painful death._

_"Yes, My Lord, and I know that it is a difficult potion to make."_

_"Don't fret Severus. Though my follower is not as adept in the art of potion-making as you are, he is quite capable. Now then for the final ingredients."_

_Both wizards added a drop of blood to the goblet._

_Snape raised the goblet to his lips and drained the contents._

_The potion did not take long to take effect as Snape's scowl was replaced by a look of agony. His nose began to bleed, and he doubled over with a moan that he could not suppress._

_Harry tried to move towards him, but his feet were strongly rooted to the ground._

_Snape began to gag, and it was not until Snape lifted his head so that Harry could see the crimson staining the corners of his lips that Harry realized he was throwing up blood._

_Voldemort looked down at Snape as if he was gazing at a pitiful creature. "Severus, you disappoint me, but I will be merciful. I will end your suffering now if you beg."_

_"Never."_

_"Very well, have it your way. Farewell, Severus."_

_Blood began to streak from the corners of Snape's eyes._

_Harry managed to step forward and whisper, "Professor?"_

_Snape's head lolled back as he collapsed, and Harry knew that he was dead._

Harry wasted no time in bolting from the Divination Tower to Dumbledore's office. He couldn't be too late again, he just couldn't.

He shouted the password and ran into the stairwell before the gargoyle had a chance to open completely, swiping at the blood stinging in his eyes as his scar had opened once again.

He burst into the office without knocking, panting as he asked urgently, "Is Professor Snape in the castle!"

Dumbledore was at his side instantly, pressing a kerchief to the gaping wound.

"Calm down, Harry, and tell me what happened."

"Professor Snape. He's in danger. I have to- I can't-"

_Why could he not pull enough air into his lungs?_

"I'll go get Professor Snape. Just sit down and take it easy. I'll be right back."

Dumbledore moved Harry's hand so that it replaced his on the kerchief and forced him into the chair.

There was a fluttering of wings as Fawkes found a perch on top of Harry's head. Harry removed the kerchief as pearly tears sealed the wound.

"Thanks, Fawkes." Harry voiced softly.

The phoenix hopped onto Harry's lap before turning and cocking his head to study the boy.

"I'm fine."

The phoenix let out a string of notes, obviously conveying that he did not agree with him.

Harry used the kerchief to wipe off the blood from his face as best he could before Dumbledore returned, leading a reluctant Snape. Harry did not believe that he had ever been so glad to see his Potions professor.

"Potter, I should have known. So help me, if you've had me called out of my class to contest your detention-"

Dumbledore held up his hand to silence his Potions Master. "Harry has said nothing of the sort. He's concerned that your life may be in jeopardy."

"And what, may I ask, gave you that impression, Potter?" Snape's tone grew more and more acrid with each syllable.

"I just saw you die."

These words spoken softly had more of an impact than any of Snape's more vociferous ones.

"How?" Dumbledore prodded gently after a brief moment of silence.

"Voldemort." Harry met Snape's eyes, "He gave you the Infidelis Mortis Potion."

Snape scowled, trying to hide the fact that he was stunned, "Are you sure."

Harry could not suppress the shudder that rushed down his spine, "Quite sure."

Dumbledore broke in, "Harry's visions have always proved to be quite reliable though to my knowledge he's never had one that foretold the future before."

Harry shook his head to communicate that Dumbledore was indeed correct.

Snape looked at each of them in turn before commenting, "Fortunately, the Infidelis Mortis Potion has an antidote that can be taken ahead of time. I will get to work on it immediately. Albus, I'll need you to come down to the dungeons later and donate a drop of blood."

"Of course."

With that, Snape's robes billowed as he spun and left the room.

Dumbledore now focussed his attention at Harry and was disappointed to see that the eyes blazing emeralds when he had entered had dulled once again.

"Harry?"

"I'm all right, sir, though I'm sorry about your kerchief."

"No apologies necessary. That's easily fixed."

Dumbledore muttered a simple cleaning charm, and the cloth in Harry's hand had no trace of blood remaining on it.

Harry wordlessly handed it back to his headmaster as he stood.

"Thank you, Harry. You've done a great service today."

_But nothing can make up for all I've failed to do._

Harry forced the corners of his lips to curve. "I should go. Ron and Hermione will be worried."

Dumbledore nodded, but as soon as Harry left he spoke softly, "You're not all right, Harry. Not all right at all."

AN: That's all for now. This chapter for me was like the chapter that never ended. I've decided that since my posts are so erratic that it might be beneficial for you if I started a mailing list. Anyone interested in being e-mailed when I update, leave your e-mail address in your review with instructions to add you to the list. If all goes according to plan, I may be able to update by the end of next week.

Now for my reviewers:

**Sunkist**: Wow. I don't know what to say.

**howling**** wolf: **Thank you

**Wink At J00:** No problem about outside references. It makes reviews that much more interesting. I'm glad that you thought the scene was sweet. I tried.

**Von**: Part of the reason that it's so late in coming out is that I did not read any of the books until this summer when I read them all in three days. I know that it's fast-paced, and I'll try to tone it down if you want, but I don't want to bore anyone. Please add more suggestions if you like. By the way, in two or three chapters, look for Harry using wandless magic through happiness. It was a great idea.

**Sonne**** al'Verre:** If you'd like, I'll send you a list of terms to clarify. Fawkes is the name of the phoenix, Remus and Minerva are names of characters. I'm glad that someone likes my descriptions.

**JaimeyKay** Well good. I was really worried about the cliche. As for the end, don't be jealous because I know the ending, but there are some middle parts that I have not worked out yet. I'm glad that you like the long chapters.

**katydidnt** Thank you very much

**Arizosa** You know that you love the cliffies. It keeps you coming back.

**Meep** Hopefully everything still fits. Pay attention to the details. Usually there is method

to my madness.

**wquad** I'm going... really.

**becki** I want Harry Potter socks though the fan club does scare me a bit. Hopefully the next chapter will be out post haste.

**Nicky:** I'm glad to have them back too. though I just added another Wizard's Debt, didn't I. I'll be better about updating I promise.

**Princess Hermione:** You're one to talk about cliffies. :)

**Lady Game:** Okay, I hate "mate" too. If you notice, I've stopped using it.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Look I did it. I posted in a timely fashion and before the end of the week. Consider this an early Christmas or other such holiday present. Thanks to everyone who reviewed! You were a real inspiration. I've had the ending of this chapter in mind now for a long time now, and I'm warning you now that I think that it's the worst cliffhanger that I've had yet. Sorry.

I must put in a disclaimer saying that there is a scene later that takes direct quotes from the third book. I do not own these statements, but I needed to use them to stay true to the work.

**Harry Potter: Prophecy of the Phoenix - Chapter 6**

_Harry found himself experiencing deja vu as he found himself back in the room with Snape and Voldemort, scar throbbing._

_"Ah, Severus.__ It's good to see you again. You will be glad to know that after tonight you will either be welcomed into my inner circle or you will be dead."_

_"What must I do, My Lord?"_

_Voldemort produced a goblet. "I assume that you are familiar with the Infidelis Mortis Potion."_

_"Yes, My Lord, and I know that it is a difficult potion to make."_

_"Don't fret Severus. Though my follower is not as adept in the art of potion-making as you are, he is quite capable. Now then for the final ingredients."_

_Both wizards added a drop of blood to the goblet._

_Snape raised the goblet to his lips and drained the contents._

_Harry silently prayed that Snape had gotten enough forewarning to prepare the antidote._

_Nothing happened._

_Harry let out the breath that he had been holding as Voldemort spoke, "I must say that I am pleasantly surprised. Welcome back, Severus."_

_"You are most gracious, My Lord."_

Harry awoke, hearing the soft snoring of the other occupants of his dorm. Although he had not had an actual nightmare, the pain from his scar coming from Voldemort's mere presence in his dream had been enough to wake him.

Knowing that sleep was no longer a possibility, Harry started to grab his Potions text when a better idea hit him. Instead he grabbed his invisibility cloak and the Marauder's Map and crept out of Gryffindor Tower towards the library.

The prophecy that Moody had mentioned in the Order meeting had to be written down somewhere, most likely in the Forbidden section, and Harry was determined to find it. Maybe he could get some much needed answers.

He felt somewhat guilty as he entered the library. This was Hermione's strong point. She relished doing research and would be more than eager to help him, but this time he could not include her. This he needed to do for himself.

His resolve teetered as he stood in front of a very large bookcase that held exclusively books relating to prophecies. Suddenly his task at hand seemed overwhelming. He was not even sure exactly what he was looking for. How was he supposed to find what he was looking for in this?

Harry sighed before removing the first book, settling himself for a long night in front of the bookshelf.

It was just before sunrise that Harry decided he had better return to the Gryffindor dormitories before anyone awoke and missed him, resigned to the fact that he had found nothing but determined to return and continue his search at a later time.

Harry had just settled onto the couch in the common room and cracked his Potions text when he heard a jocular tone announce, "Look, George. I think Harry's gone mad."

"Stark-raving nutters." Came the agreement.

"Lay off, you two. What are you doing up so early anyway?"

"We have a Quidditch meeting."

"We do?" Harry questioned inanely as the rest of the team entered the common room.

"Ron was supposed to tell you." Fred spoke.

Well, that explained it. Harry had not seen Ron since right before dinner, and both Ron and Hermione had been too worried about him to deliver a mundane message such as that regarding the Quidditch meeting.

Harry had spent the majority of the evening with the pair of Marauders, denying that anything was wrong and knowing that neither was buying his denials. The look of hurt on Sirius's face was almost enough to break him, but there was an irrational voice of fear and betrayal inside of him that would not allow him to speak.

He had gone straight from the dinner to detention with Snape, which had been anything but pleasant. It appeared that Snape was less than thrilled at the fact that he was once again indebted to the young Potter, and Harry had spent his detention scrubbing the floor.

After that, Harry had collapsed into bed, so Ron really did not have a chance to deliver the message.

Instead of the long explanation, Harry just shrugged and stated, "He must have forgotten. So, why are we meeting?"

George exchanged a look with his twin. "Well, first off, we need to elect a new captain."

Harry began to nod in agreement before he noticed that all eyes had turned on him.

Katie smiled at him as his eyes widened, "Congratulations, Harry. We voted earlier, and it was unanimous."

"But I don't want it." Harry stammered. The last thing that he needed right now was to have something else that made him stand out. "Besides, you all have more experience than I do. It doesn't make sense for me to be captain."

"Yes, it does." Alicia assured him. "Gryffindor's going to have an almost-entirely new team next year. They're going to need an experienced captain."

Seeing that Harry was about to continue arguing Fred added, "Besides, none of us is dumb enough to want to do it, and since you're the most junior member of the team, it means that you're stuck."

Harry looked around the group, and when he saw that arguing was going to do no good, he agreed reluctantly as a mischievous kernel of himself made a mental note to contact Oliver Wood as soon as possible and ask for his advice. When the Gryffindor team voted him captain, they had no idea what they were in for.

Angelina spoke next, "For our second order of business, we need a new keeper."

That last conversation was predominant in Harry's skull as he stepped onto the Quidditch Pitch and took in a lung full of the crisp October air.

Unable to help himself, he mounted his broom and took off, turning some difficult maneuvers in the air.

"Okay, captain, your seeker position is safe. Do you want to come down and help us choose a keeper?" One of the Weasley twins called up.

Harry landed with a touch of color in his cheeks and a glint in his eyes. Doing his best Oliver Wood impression, Harry began his speech, "Good morning. First, I would like to congratulate all of you for trying out for the best Quidditch team at Hogwarts. With a lot of hard work and new strategies, we're almost certain to win the cup this year."

Harry did his best to hide his smirk as he caught his teammates exchanging horror-filled looks.

"Here's the drill. Each of you will have the opportunity to block fifteen shots. Keep in mind that although the number of shots you block is important, it is not the sole deciding factor. Good luck."

As they all mounted their brooms, Harry whispered to the twins, "Wood sends his regards."

The looks on their faces were priceless as they considered exactly what they had unleashed.

Eight tryouts later, the returning members of the Gryffindor team met on the edge of the Quidditch Pitch, and Harry knew that he was about ready to make one of the toughest decisions of his life.

Trying to stall the voicing of his own opinion, he asked the others, "So, what do you think?"

Katie eyed the twins, trying to gauge their reactions, "I think that Dean Thomas is a natural."

The girls were quick to agree, and though the twins were reluctant to admit it, they eventually agreed that Dean was the best candidate.

Not looking forward to what he was going to have to do, Harry spoke, "Then we're all in agreement. Let's go tell them the news."

As they approached the eight candidates and their friends that had come along for support, Harry found that he could not meet Ron's eyes, knowing how disappointed he was going to be.

Although Ron had been good, it had been obvious that keeper was not the right position for him, but Harry was certain that his friend would find a place on the team next year, maybe even as a beater to keep the Weasley tradition alive after the twins left.

Bracing himself, he began to speak, "Thank you all for coming. You all did very well, but we can only have one keeper. Dean Thomas, welcome to the team."

Most of the gathered Gryffindors broke into congratulatory statements, but Harry saw Ron's face fall. He turned and started to walk quickly towards the castle with Hermione at his heels.

Harry slipped away from the team to catch up to his best friends.

"Ron, wait!" Harry called out as he finally caught up with them halfway to the castle.

Ron turned, his eyes flashing, and the jealousy that had been threatening to rear its ugly head since the opening feast at the realization of Harry's position as prefect finally broke through the surface.

"Why do you have to be so bloody perfect? Prefect, captain of the Quidditch team, amazingly wealthy." Ron broke for a split second before continuing in an explosion,

"Why can't you let me have anything?"

With that, Ron rushed to the castle.

"I'll go talk to him." Hermione offered.

"No, I'll go talk to him. There are some things that need to be said that have been needed to be said for a long time now.

Hermione turned and looked at her friend in shock. She had expected him to be hurt and upset, but, instead, anger darkened his features as he stormed after Ron.

Harry finally found Ron in their dorm room, which was thankfully empty.

"Go away!"

Harry stepped forward. "No. This childishness needs to stop now."

"Who do you think you are to pass judgment on me? Oh wait, that's right. You're Harry Potter. You have everything. You're infallible."

Cedric's face floated for a brief moment in Harry's mind's eye, but he pushed the image away to deal with it at a later time.

"Are you really that dense. Do you not remember the Mirror of Erised our first year?"

Ron frowned, confusion momentarily overtaking his ire, "What?"

"Don't you understand, Ron? Did you never realize? _I'm_ the one that's envious of _you_. I'd give anything to have a real family like you have. I'd give anything to have a family that loved me, that didn't call me a freak, that didn't treat me as a burden and a servant, that didn't blame me for everything that went wrong in their miserable lives, and especially a family that didn't get drunk and beat me senseless as a form of physical release."

Harry's voice grew frighteningly quiet. "Do you have any idea how lucky you are?"

Without waiting for a response, Harry turned and left the room, barely noticing that Hermione had been standing behind him and was now wearing a look of abject horror on her face.

She shot a withering look in Ron's direction before hurrying after Harry.

Ron could do nothing but stand there with his jaw dropped slightly, wondering how he could have been so wrong and thinking that he had been a real idiot. He could not think of a way that he could fix the mess that he had just gotten himself into.

Hermione found Harry in the Astronomy Tower, staring out at nothing in particular.

"Harry?"

"I'd really like to be left alone right now."

The pain in his voice cut right through her, and she knew that the last thing that he needed was to be left alone.

"That's really a shame since I have no intention of leaving you alone."

She moved to sit next to him, as he brought his gaze back inside of the tower.

Softly and not quite meeting her gaze, Harry mumbled, "That wasn't the way I was planning to tell you about what happened this summer."

"Were you ever planning on telling us?"

Harry smiled guiltily. "Not really. I was hoping that if I didn't say anything that it would just go away."

Hermione's eyes suddenly grew wide and her words became urgent. "Please tell me that you've told somebody. You can't go back there."

"Don't worry. Dumbledore has known since the first night that we got back. I don't know where I'm going next summer, but it will not be with the Dursleys."

"Harry, why didn't you owl somebody?"

Harry finally looked at her, seeing concern and surprisingly seeing guilt on her features.

She obviously thought that she had done something to fail him.

Harry averted his gaze, finding it harder to answer the question now with Hermione asking than when his headmaster had asked the same question, and he could only manage the words, "I don't know."

Hermione placed a hand on his shoulder, "Harry, you did nothing to deserve what they did to you."

Sometimes, Hermione could be too smart for her own good.

His eyes turned glassy as he fought to keep his emotions at bay. He would not cry.

"Harry, look at me. Cedric's death was tragic, but it was not your fault."

"I should have done something, but I just knelt there cowering in pain."

Hermione offered him a soft smile, hoping to break through his defenses. "I hate to break it to you, Harry, but you're only human."

"Will you do me a favor and let the rest of the Wizarding World know that?"

Instead of responding, Hermione pulled him into an embrace. She felt her friend's body hitch and knew that he had finally lost the war against his tears. The tears were silent, but Hermione had expected nothing less. Maybe now that he had let out some of those bottled emotions, he could begin to heal.

Hermione held him until Harry himself pulled away, swiping at his cheeks, but it was not before Hermione realized with peaked curiosity that there was something strange about his tears.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

"Harry Potter, don't you ever be sorry. Allowing yourself to feel and to mourn is not a crime. Do you need me to remind you again that you're human?"

"No." He forced himself to look her in the eyes. "Thank you, Hermione."

"Anytime. I mean that, Harry. You can talk to me about anything at anytime."

The moment of openness he had just felt with Hermione ended in that instant, and a wall of guilt slammed into him. There was still so much that she did not know and that he could not tell her.

Sometimes he wished that they could all return to the innocence of their first year when pressures of the world did not weigh so heavily upon them. It had all seen so simple back then.

"Do you want to go back?" Hermione questioned.

Going back to the dormitories meant facing Ron, and Harry really did not know how he felt at the moment.

"In a little bit. Let's stay up here for just a while longer."

Harry collapsed onto his bed, extremely thankful for its mere existence. Halloween always drew out mixed feelings in him. The Halloween celebrations in the castle were always festive and fantastic, but Halloween also represented the anniversary of his parents' death.

He glanced over at the bed coverings that had been drawn around Ron's bed. It had been two weeks since their fight, and though things had not returned back to normal, they were a lot better. Both of them had issues that they needed to address, and Harry was sure that it would not be long until the trio was whole again.

Harry pulled his own coverings closed, and as per his nightly ritual, he pleaded silently for one peaceful night of sleep, knowing that he would probably be back in the library searching fruitlessly in a couple of hours.

Even though his conscious mind had been working on the fact that Cedric's death was not his fault, his subconscious was being slow to follow that example.

Feeling extremely tired, his eyes closed, and Harry allowed himself to be lulled off to sleep.

_Tonight Harry found himself in Godric's Hollow, bitterly thinking to himself, "Happy Anniversary."_

_The house trembled beneath his feet._

_"Lily, take Harry and go! It's him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off."_

_Harry watched as his mother raced frantically up the stairs as the door began to crack and then exploded open in a shower of splinters._

_"Please! I don't want to see this!" Harry shouted in desperation as his father attempted to battle the dark wizard and fell victim to the killing curse._

_Voldemort's high-pitched cackled rang out in the house as he swooped up the stairs._

_The scene shifted and Harry found himself in his own nursery where his mother was standing in front of his crib in order to shield his younger self._

_"Not Harry! Not Harry! Please-I'll do anything."_

_"Stand aside. Stand aside, girl!"_

_Harry could see that his mother was delirious and desperate as she backed closer to him. _

_Her green eyes so much like Harry's were gleaming wildly._

_"Not Harry, not Harry, please not Harry!"_

_Voldemort was almost grinding his teeth in frustration._

_"Stand aside, you silly girl... stand aside now..."_

_Voldemort was advancing on the two of them, and Harry wanted nothing more than to shut his eyes to what was about to happen, but he found himself unable to do anything but stand and watch from the other end of the room._

_"Not Harry, please no, take me, kill me instead-"_

_Voldemort was now upon her, and Harry could see in her eyes that she knew all hope had been lost. He would not spare either of them._

_In once last plea, her last words, she begged, "Not Harry! Please... have mercy... have mercy..."_

_Voldemort laughed at her ignorance and leveled his wand._

_She screamed as she was hit with the killing curse, and then she fell to the floor lifeless._

_"No." Harry protested past the lump in his throat as a mist wrapped around him._

_The mist began to clear, and Harry recognized where he was instantly. After all, he had spent most of his young life at Number 4 Privet Drive._

_His scar was throbbing with a new-found ferocity, and a fiery chill of panic seized through him._

_The Dursleys were huddled in a corner of the living room while Voldemort sneered maliciously at them._

_Vernon__'s normally flushed face was ghostly pale, and as he stammered, Harry could not believe that this was the same man who had earned his fear last summer._

_"L-leave my house you f-freak.__ Your k-kind is not w-welcome here."_

_Voldemort's eyes narrowed and what poor excuse he had for nostrils flared in disgust. _

_He aimed his wand at Vernon and spoke, "Avada Kedavra," as if disposing of a piece of trash._

_"NO!"_

_Harry threw himself in front of the curse, conjuring his strongest shield though he knew that it was useless against the Unforgivables._

_The curse tore through him as if it was some sort of invisible claw._

_The pain was indescribable, so much more than pain but without a proper word to accurately describe the sensation, making the Cruciatus seem like a simple scraped knee. _

_It was as if he was being seared and simultaneously frozen from the inside out, and the cry of absolute agony died on paralyzed vocal cords._

_There was a weight growing on Harry's chest, but he could not move to push it off._

_It was his aunt's shriek that broke through the roar of pain and allowed his thoughts to focus on something other than the fact that he was being consumed in his personal fiery inferno._

_The living room began to reappear in his vision before he realized that it had disappeared, and his lungs took in a desperate breath as Harry realized that the weight had come from their malfunction._

_Voldemort's gaze turned to Dudley, whose chins were quivering shamelessly as he whimpered like a lost puppy. He aimed the wand at the boy, but Petunia moved in front of her son._

_Red eyes flashed dangerously as Voldemort growled, "You're a fool just like you sister. Crucio!"_

_Petunia fell screaming with Harry's scar screaming in chorus._

_He hated feeling helpless. Why was he always so helpless? He was supposed to be the Boy-Who-Lived. Shouldn't that fame come with some merit?_

_"Mummy!"__ Dudley whined through his whimpers._

_Voldemort, sneering at the boy's cowardice, released Petunia from the curse and then casting a spell so that she was sitting up._

_"I want you to see this."_

_His wand gravitated back to Dudley, and his lips spoke the killing curse, leaving behind only the corpulent shell of Harry's spoiled cousin._

_Petunia moaned tears streaking down her face, still winded from the Cruciatus. Her screams began again as Voldemort reinstated the Cruciatus._

_Harry, not recovered from trying to block the curse and now feeling intense burning in his scar, dragged himself over to his aunt's convulsing body, hoping that maybe there was something that he could do._

_He reached out his arms to try and steady her, but his hands went right through her as if one of them was an apparition._

_An eternity or two seemed to slip by before the spell was removed._

_Petunia's head lolled around on her long neck so that she was looking right at Harry and spoke in a voice so soft and cracked that Harry could barely hear it and Voldemort could not._

_"You monster.__ How can you just sit there and let him do this to us? We're your family."_

_It did not seem to matter to her that the same so-called family had treated him with nothing more than contempt towards him since the day he had been left on their doorstep._

_"I'm sorry." Harry spoke desperately._

_It was too late. His aunt had fallen victim to the killing curse._

_Harry found himself unable to do anything but sit in shock as Voldemort's laughter rang in his ears._

_Nausea burned his stomach and buzzed between his ears. There was no denying that they had lost their lives because of him, and the method of their death only seemed to reinforce the bigotry in which they had engaged throughout the course of their lives. If Harry had not been abnormal, they would still be alive._

_The ground suddenly became unstable, and as the house fell around him, Harry fell into a consuming blackness that was deeper than sleep._

_Number 4 Privet drive was decimated to its foundation except for a lonely cupboard that stood defiantly in the moonlight._

Do you guys hate me yet? Once again I will put up the offer for the update mailing list. Those two of you that are already on it need not request to be put on it again. Just leave the request and your e-mail address.

Please, please, please review. It makes me very happy, and happy authors write faster and better.

Now, special thanks to:

**angelhitomi**: Thanks. I hope that you like this one too.

**Arizosa**: Growling at the author is not nice, but grinning is good. I'm glad that you enjoyed the prediction. It came to me at one in the morning and got me out of my writer's block.

**Jarvey**and **Raiyden**** Buu**: Thank you, I'm flattered. I hope that you enjoyed the chapter.

**JaimeyKay**: Sounding like Lana is definitely not a good thing. That usually means insensitive, feel sorry for me, whining. It looks like I beat you with the next chapter before you could get back to the reviews. Feel free to put your comments to both in the next review. :)

**Von**: I'm glad that you enjoyed the spying. There will definitely be repeat performances. In fact, consider Harry in phoenix form part of the order. However, remember that no one can know that Harry is a phoenix, so as amazingly funny as him swooping down and revealing himself would be, I just can't do it. Sorry, but keep an eye out for your happiness idea. It will be there somewhere.

**Ariel**: I'm sorry that you lost the story. I am amazed that you went through so much trouble to find it. It's a great complement. Thank you.

**Lee**: You are neither a freak nor a loser. The reviews help me a lot, so keep them coming. I'm glad that I got you hooked.

**shdurri**: I'm glad it's interesting. Sometimes I'm very afraid that I'm boring you all to tears.

**Harry+Ginny4ever**: Well, you will be glad to know that I lean more H/G than H/H. Now here comes the "but." They're just kids. I have something planned for the ending, but nothing will really happen until the sequel. As for a muscular Harry, his strengths will come from other areas for a while, though his health will improve throughout the school year.

**becki**: Okay, Snape is still alive. You gave me no parameters on the Dursleys, so I claim safety. By the way, has anyone told you that your obsession is a bit scary? Thanks for the encouragement though.

**kateydidnt**: Look, I updated again. I hope that this chapter merits the story staying on your favorites.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: I'm afraid that Santa Claus brought me an early Christmas present: writer's block. I think that I'm finally over it, but I had wanted to update much sooner. I'm so sorry, but I ended up with five versions of this chapter. Hopefully, the next chapter will come easier.

Also, I'd like to say a special thanks to my sister, TexansFanNumber8, who read through this chapter for any grievous errors and assured me that I could post this and not start a sixth revision. Aren't you guys thankful for her?

**Harry Potter: Prophecy of the Phoenix - Chapter 7**

"Harry! Harry, wake up!"

The panicked syllables pierced the void that had wrapped around Harry like a warm blanket, infiltrating the temporary sense of peace he had found, and Harry's first instinct was to rebel against it.

Despite his internal rebellion, awareness began to creep into the edges of his mind, untangling him from the remnants of the void.

Pain hit him, a fierce sharpness radiating from his scar and shooting out into his peripheral nervous system.

He winced before even opening his eyes, barely managing to suppress the accompanying groan.

"Harry?"

Harry begrudgingly forced his eyes open at the urgency of the tone in which his name was uttered. His surroundings were bleary, but there was no mistaking the shade of red adorning the top of the figure standing next to him.

Automatically, he reached for his glasses, but the movement of his arm launched tendrils of pain through the limb. Harry had to chew on the inside of his bottom lip to keep from crying out.

Summoning a combination of stubbornness and sheer will power, he grasped his glasses and slid them onto his face, bringing his surroundings and Ron's worried face into focus.

He felt a rush of gratitude as he heard Ron tell the other occupants to go on to breakfast before turning his attentions back to him.

"Harry, are you all right? You wouldn't wake up, and your scar's been bleeding again."

A probe to his forehead found the scar closed over and all of the blood crusted, meaning that it had sealed and stopped bleeding some time ago. It had been several weeks since it had last split open during his premonition of Snape's demise despite his continuing nightmares.

"I'm fine."

The hoarseness of his own voice surprised him and did little to appease his friend's concern.

Ignoring the doubt in Ron's face, Harry pushed himself out of bed, his entire body complaining vociferously as if he had just run a marathon, and he was unable to keep discomfort from flitting across his face.

"You're not all right. Maybe you should go see Madam Pomfrey."

The last thing that Harry wanted at the moment was to be put under the ministrations of the doting and overprotective mediwitch.

"I'm fine, really." Harry repeated even as his brain began to tingle with nausea and dizziness. "Just give me a moment to get cleaned up."

Ron nodded reluctantly. He wanted desperately to push the issue, to force him to go to the Hospital Wing, but they were still putting the pieces of their friendship back together, making Ron feel as if he should drop the subject for the moment.

His resolve teetered when Harry emerged from the bathroom a few minutes later looking worse than he had previously, despite the fact that the dried blood had been washed from his face and he was no longer wearing blood-stained pajamas.

It was Hermione who saved him from having to bring the subject up again as she burst into their dormitory.

"You two had better hurry. We're going to be la-"

Her eyes grew wide as she took in Harry's appearance, and she interrupted her own comment.

"Harry, you look terrible."

"Hermione, I'm fine. I just didn't sleep very well."

Ron shot him a look as he remembered how hard it had been to wake him, and Hermione marched straight up to him, placing the back of her hand to his brow and noticing that the infamous mark seemed inflamed.

However, she did not see his eyes flinch in pain at her touch.

"No, you're not. You're burning up. You need to see Madam Pomfrey immediately."

"That's what I said." Ron grumbled quietly.

Harry no longer had the strength to fight them. The blackness of the void tickled the outskirts of his mind in a welcoming invitation, and Harry knew that it was only a matter of time before he would be forced to succumb to it once again.

"Okay." He whispered in defeat.

"Good." Hermione voiced succinctly.

The trio was halfway to the Hospital Wing when they were met by Professor McGonagall, who Harry swore looked a bit distraught behind her usual stern mask.

"Potter, Professor Dumbledore needs to see you immediately."

Hermione broke in before Harry could respond, "Professor, Harry is ill with a high fever. We were taking him to the Hospital Wing."

McGonagall studied the young Gryffindor for a moment, "I'm afraid that it's a matter of some urgency, but have no fear, Miss Granger. Potter will find his way to the Hospital Wing afterwards."

Harry nodded in understanding at the implied order, immediately regretting the movement as it threw off his equilibrium for a brief moment, causing him to sway slightly but noticeably.

Both Ron and Hermione stepped closer to him, but he waved them off. "Go on. I'll be all right."

They looked reluctant to leave, but they both did at McGonagall's nod, slowly while shooting worried glances at Harry with the knowledge that something was terribly wrong.

McGonagall's mask slipped further at their absence, "Harry, I'm going to be needed in the Great Hall, but if you need to talk to me later, I'll be available."

"Thank you." Harry murmured in an almost inaudible voice, surprised that she had used his first name.

She paused for a moment, gauging his reaction, and then nodded slightly, "Well, then you best be off. The password is Jellied Slugs."

Like a well-worn glove, McGonagall's practiced expression slid back onto her face as she reluctantly left the young Gryffindor to head for the Great Hall.

Harry stood in the hall for a moment, delaying facing his headmaster for a few moments more. Finally and with a resigned sigh, he started for Dumbledore's office, allowing his muscle memory to guide him and feeling a growing weight of dread building in the pit of his stomach with each step, irritating the nausea already bubbling there.

He got no satisfaction from the fact that he did not have to play the guessing game with the gargoyle, and finally trudged into the office, only half-surprised at the presence of Sirius and Lupin.

He was, however, disappointed to find that Fawkes was absent from his normal perch and was nowhere to be seen.

Dumbledore's expression was somber and serious, sans the normal glittering in his eyes,

"Harry, please have a seat."

At this point, if Harry had not known what was going on, he would have been very nervous for a different reason.

He sat carefully, trying to make his movements as natural as possible, despite the fact that every movement was protested vehemently by his body.

Both Lupin and Dumbledore's eyes narrowed a bit as they observed his stiff movements, but Sirius seemed too distracted by his own inner conflict to notice.

Sirius stepped forward with a look of determination etched onto his features, speaking his godson's name, but as soon as the word left his lips, he found himself paralyzed both physically and vocally, leaving him to wonder why he had insisted on breaking the news himself.

Seeing the conflict replace the determination in Sirius's face, Harry spoke at a decibel that could barely be heard, "It's all right, Sirius. I already know."

He caught Dumbledore rise out of the corner of his eye, feeling ill-prepared to accept any of the kind platitudes that the elder wizard would be offering.

Right now, what he needed most was time to think, to sort things out. His thoughts and emotions were raging in a chaotic maelstrom centering on guilt and helplessness, but there was a part of him, albeit a small part of him, that felt relieved at the Dursleys' permanent absence.

That part of himself would not be denied, and it both startled and terrified him.

As his aunt's final words continued to resound in his head, he thought that perhaps she was right.

Maybe he was a monster after all.

His body threatened to lurch as it had earlier that morning, but Harry managed to suppress the urge though he knew that giving in would most likely result only in dry heaves.

Dumbledore touched his arm lightly though with his hypersensitive nerves it felt as if the touch was being burned into his skin, and it was enough to break Harry out of his self-recriminations.

"When you did not come to my office to see me last night, I had hoped..."

As his voice trailed off, Harry finally found himself able to meet Dumbledore's eyes and saw a reflection of guilt and helplessness in those azure depths at not being able to protect him.

"Alas, I'm afraid that doesn't matter anymore."

Harry could see the hesitation in Dumbledore at questioning him any further despite the fact that it was necessary, so Harry decided to save him from the burden by offering,

"There really isn't much to tell you, sir. Voldemort killed them all using _Avada Kedavra_."

Sirius finally broke out of his paralysis and stepped closer to his godson, "Harry, it's not your fault."

"Yes it is." Harry responded with certainty in a voice that was louder than any he had used since awakening. "Voldemort targeted them because of me, and I just stood there and let it happen."

"That I find hard to believe." Lupin spoke for the first time, looking almost sick. "You've neglected the fact that you were hit by the Killing Curse as well."

Sirius's outburst was stayed only by the restraining hand Lupin placed on his shoulder.

Harry's already chaotic thoughts were now jumbled with an additional one, wondering how Lupin had possibly been able to deduce that.

"Harry?" Dumbledore voiced gently though he no longer had reservations about questioning the younger wizard.

"It went right through me." Harry mumbled almost-unintelligibly.

"Maybe you should start at the beginning." Dumbledore suggested.

Harry's eyes flickered in the direction of his godfather. He immediately decided against sharing the fact that he had witnessed his parents' murders, especially because of his godfather's presence.

He turned his attention back Dumbledore, letting the words come, slowly at first and then faster until the words were tumbling over each other in an effort to get the endeavor over as quickly as possible, but his words stopped before they could relay his aunt's final condemnatory statement.

Sirius and Lupin had made it to his side during the course of his narrative, both looking stricken at his story, and Dumbledore was struggling to keep a calm facade.

"Thank you, Harry. Now I need you to listen to me for a moment. You are not to blame for the Dursleys' deaths. In fact, you showed amazing courage and selflessness, especially concerning recent circumstances."

Harry could not accept his headmaster's words, knowing that his family did hold him responsible, and nothing that Dumbledore could ever offer would change that.

"Meanwhile, I must insist that you make a trip to the Hospital Wing and take a day off from classes." Dumbledore held up a hand, seeing that Harry was about to argue one or both of his assertions, "No arguments this time. You need to take some time off to let this sink in. Sirius...?"

Dumbledore did not even have to finish his question as Sirius changed immediately to his animagus form.

Dumbledore offered the black dog a small smile, "I must be getting predictable in my old age."

_"Harry?"_

_The fuzziness around Harry caused by the Dreamless Sleep potion began to coalesce into shapes._

_For a moment he panicked, thinking that it should not be happening, but he relaxed when he saw the form of the man calling his name._

_"Dad?"__ He whispered in awe, his feet refusing to work._

_"That's right, son. I'm here to help you." James took a good look at his son before adding, "Has anyone ever told you that you have your mother's eyes?"_

_Harry nodded, "Where _is_ Mom?"_

_James chuckled. "Just like you were when you were a baby. You were never satisfied with just your dear old dad. You always had to have your mom in sight too although you were content just to be with her."_

_"I didn't mean it like that. I-"_

_"Harry, it's okay. I was just teasing. Your mom couldn't come through this time, but have no doubts that we are always with you. Don't ever feel that you're alone." James chuckled at himself, "Sirius would be busting a gut if he ever heard me say that. Your mother was always in charge of the sentimental speeches."_

_Harry was now inching towards his father, almost afraid that the image would dissolve if he got too close._

_It was James that closed the distance and pulled him into a hug. For a brief moment, Harry allowed himself to sink into the embrace and let all of his troubles fade away._

_When they pulled away, Harry was surprised at the dampness on his cheeks, and he quickly swiped the evidence of the tears away._

_"Never be ashamed to cry. You can't always keep everything neatly bottled inside. Speaking of which, I need you to make me a promise."_

_"Anything."_

_"You need to tell Sirius and Remus what happened during the summer. Let them help you."_

_"All right."__ He agreed though he was disinclined to do so._

_"Good. Now, I need to show you something. Take my hand."_

_Harry took his father's hand, and their surroundings dissolved around them, reforming into the restricted section of the library._

_James reached out for a book on the shelf and pulled it out, "I believe that you've been looking for this."_

_Harry stared at the book entitled _Ancient Prophesies and the Fate of the World_ by I. C. Thefuture in his hand in disbelief. He had spent so many nights searching in vain._

_"Thanks."_

_James smiled, "Good luck, Harry. Remember what I told you and your promise."_

Harry started awake, immediately catching the attention of the large, black dog, who was keeping vigil at the foot of Harry's Hospital bed.

At the pitiful whine, Harry reached over to scratch behind the dog's ears, "It's all right, Snuffles. It wasn't a nightmare."

The dog whined again, nosing him and then looking in the direction of the empty goblets at Harry's bedside.

"The Dreamless Sleep potion must have worn off." Harry rationalized though he knew that he should have been asleep and not dreaming for several hours yet.

Any further conversation was interrupted as Madam Pomfrey bustled over to fuss over her charge.

Snuffles growled low in his throat.

"Relax, I'm not breaking any promises. I'm not going to a class, and I will take it easy. I'm just going to do it on the Quidditch Pitch."

Sirius in his animagus form did not look pleased, but at this point Harry did not care, having spent the majority of the day cooped up in the Hospital Wing bored to tears.

Although he was still a little sore, his fever had broken, and because he was dying to get to the library and check out the book, he had a lot of excess nervous energy to burn off.

"Harry, what are you doing here?" Fred demanded as the rest of the Quidditch team converged on him.

"The last time I checked, I'm the one who called this practice in the first place. I'm not about to abandon you guys, and we have the match against Hufflepuff coming up this weekend."

"But Harry-"

"No buts, or as your captain I'll be forced to add on another practice at five in the morning."

"Let's get to work." George announced, taking off on his broom,

The others were right behind him, and with a smile and wave to his disgruntled godfather, Harry took off as well.

The wind whipped through his hair as he raced through the air, knowing that later his godfather would definitely be giving him a lecture about his definition of "taking it easy."

While the rest of his teammates were going through their respective drills, Harry scanned the area for the Snitch and chuckled as he spotted it buzzing around Snuffles's head.

Snuffles snapped at the Snitch, missing it as it deftly escaped its capture while continuing to be a nuisance.

Harry swooped down just as Snuffles snapped at it once again and this time managed to nab it.

"Trying to give me a run for my money?" Harry teased as Snuffles looked entirely too pleased with himself. "Well, would you mind releasing it? I need the practice, and I don't think that we'll be able to use you in our game this weekend."

There was a moment of hesitation as his godfather clearly shot him a look saying that he would only release the Snitch if Harry promised not to overdo it.

"Come on, let it go. I'll be fine."

Snuffles sighed and spit out the Snitch, which sputtered a moment indignantly before shooting across the pitch with Harry on its tail.

The black dog shook his head in defeat, and at the same time, he felt pride swell up inside of him at his godson's talent.

He could remember when James had him keep a watch out for Lily as he would smuggle baby Harry with him onto a broom. Harry had taken to it immediately, squealing with delight as they rose into the air.

Harry's first word had been "Pafoo," which had annoyed Lily to no end, but his second word had been, "up." They had all been shocked when the broom had risen into the small hand, and James's cover had been blown.

Snuffles looked up from his reminiscing as Harry landed beside him at the end of practice, a grin spread across his face.

The animagus growled jokingly to show his displeasure of Harry's antics on the broom, and Harry rolled his eyes.

"Look, see, I'm fine. Come on, let's get to dinner, and then there's something that I need to talk to you and Remus about."

Snuffles trotted alongside of him, smiling inwardly at the use of his friend's first name.

When they had first come to Hogwarts, Harry had called him "Professor Lupin," and Sirius had burst into laughter at the thought of his fellow Marauder playing the part of a professor. From then on, upon Lupin's own insistence, Harry had called him "Remus."

Harry waited on his bed silently for the others in his dormitory to fall asleep so that he could sneak off to the library and retrieve the book, memories of that long day washing over him.

Upon entering the Great Hall that evening, it had not taken long for Harry to find out why Professor McGonagall had been needed there that morning.

Hermione had hugged him tightly as she stammered out, "You saw all of it, didn't you? That's why you were so sick this morning."

He felt frozen, unable to answer her question, and instead responded with, "How did you know?"

She pulled out that day's issue of the Daily Prophet, sporting a large picture of the rubble that had once been Privet Drive under the title, "Boy-Who-Lived's Remaining Relatives Killed by Escaped Convict Sirius Black."

It appeared that Fudge was still using scapegoats, unwilling to admit to the possibility that Voldemort had indeed returned.

Snuffles nudged his hand to get his attention, and Harry saw no surprise in the dog's brown eyes. He had already known.

After Harry had managed to force down dinner, he had excused himself from his friends and followed Snuffles to where he and Remus were hiding out in the castle.

He almost lost his nerve, but he remembered that he had promised and who he had promised. Soon the entire story of the summer came flooding out. Though they were obviously concerned, they also appeared relieved that he had finally confided in them.

As he was leaving, he heard Sirius growl when he thought that Harry was out of earshot, "If I would have known earlier, I would have killed those filthy Muggles myself."

The soft sounds of sleep from the other members of his dormitory pervaded his thoughts, letting him know that it was now safe to sneak out.

Harry pulled the invisibility cloak around himself, slinking out softly as not to disturb anyone.

His heart was pounding loudly as adrenaline jolted through his veins. If the book was not there, he would be in for a severe disappointment, but he had a strong sense that what he had experienced had been so much more than a dream.

He went through the portrait and noticed that the Fat Lady no longer questioned the fact that her portrait was opened by no one that she could see in the middle of the night.

The Marauder's Map showed that his pathway to the library was clear, so Harry was able to move quickly to his destination

Soon, he was standing in front of the same bookshelf that he had seen with his father, and he reached out with a trembling hand to retrieve the book.

He took in a deep breath of anticipation and opened the book.

Author sighs in relief. It's done. I hope that you enjoyed it. As always, reviews are greatly appreciated. The mailing list is up and running. If for some reason you did not get a notification and you should have, please yell at me in the review. From now until all future chapters, if you want to be added, simply leave your e-mail in the review. Thanks.

**Corla** I'm glad that it was only mild shock. I hope that you've recovered because here's the next part.

**jessie**I'm flattered, and I'm glad that it captured your imagination. I think the best fics out there are the ones where you could make up your own plots to.

**Tanya:** Sorry that it's been hard to keep track of. I hate when I lose a story, which was the inspiration of the mailing list. Hopefully, it will help. As for feeling sorry for Harry, that's only partly my intention. I really don't want to turn this into a poor Harry fic.

**unknown**** (even to me):** I love your handle. I'm glad that you're enjoying it.

**squeak** It doesn't matter which chapters you review. I appreciate them all :)

**Kim:** Wow, oblivion is an interesting place, but I'm glad that you brought me back.

**Charma1219:** Thank you.

**Angel Baby:** I tried to post sooner. I really did. I hope that you continue to like it.

**Catchfire** Yay. Thank you.

**Ariel:** Really? Chapter 3 was the worst? Hmmm. Maybe that was because chapter 3 grew to have a life of it's own, and I really didn't plan to end it there. By the way, congratulations on being the only one to comment on the symbolism of the final scene. Everyone, pay attention to little details. There's almost always method to my madness.

**Buckbeak**** Girl: **Yay! A constant reviewer! I'll be looking for you.

**JaimeyKay** Believe me, my attention span has something to be desired. I'm glad that you got goosebumps. That was my attention, but so many people cheered at their deaths... As for the romance, that will not be a focus. Sorry to those shippers, but it just won't fit at least for now. As for the pairing, I'm going to go the way the story takes me. It could even switch. Who knows.

**Jocelyn:** I also think that the Snape Harry relationship has a great potential in the non-slash variety. This story will not be slash for the simple reason of I can't write it, and I will not put anything up that I do not feel is not poorly done. J.K. Rowling? That is the highest compliment you could pay me. I appreciate it.

**Felicia: **Sometimes just saying that you're speechless is better than the words.

**Chava** Well, here's some more Quidditch. The game will be next chapter. I'm glad that you like the Snape/Harry interactions. There will be more to come.

**Von:** That was real time as you saw from this chapter. I'm glad the alert worked out for you.

**angelhitomi** They were mean, weren't they? I figured after so many teases I actually had to do something. Sorry that I missed your review from the last chapter.

**Insane Pineapple from Naboo:** Another cool screen name. I hope that the prolonged suspense did not in fact kill you. Oh, and I'll let you in on a little secret… I have no time. I just don't always write chapters in order, and I had the last one basically finished before I posted the previous one.

**Randal:** I appreciate your enthusiasm. Putting this in multiple places is always good. Sometimes I need that.

**jlilies** When I wrote the chapter, I certainly did not expect cheering at the end of the chapter, but I'm glad that you liked it.

**ninerings**Yes, Ron does that nasty habit. Harry's got a lot ahead of him. Don't worry.

**Raiyden**** Seth:** Um, are you trying to confuse the poor discombobulated author? Are there multiple of you? And yes, Petunia had absolutely no right to say that.

**becki** Well, I'm relieved to know that there's someone living with you that has some sense. J I'm glad that you are allowing the Dursleys to die because they are not coming back. I might a problem with the no one else rule though.

**F5Chaos:** I'm glad that you like Snape. He's very hard for me to write.

**wquad**I will keep going, believe me. I hope that you keep enjoying it.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Hi everyone. I hope that everyone is doing well. This chapter will contain the prophecy for which the story was named. I am not a poetry writer, and I hope that it's not too lame. Enjoy reading.

**Harry Potter: Prophecy of the Phoenix - Chapter 8**

Harry stared at the page in disbelief with a cry of frustration welling up inside of him. Although the title had been translated into English, the rest of the book was written in another, more symbolic language.

He turned back to the cover, only now seeing the small parenthetical statement written in smaller letters beneath the title: "Written in its original language."

For not the first time, he cursed the fact that he had chosen Divination as his elective instead of something like Ancient Runes that might be helpful in times like these. After all, what good was it really for him to hear over and over again that he was fated to die?

Momentarily, he was tempted simply to steal the book and drag Hermione out of bed in the hopes that she could translate it, but he quickly quelled that impulse. Even if she could translate the language, it was a large book, and he was not sure what exactly he was looking for. Besides, he had already decided that he was not going to drag his friends into what he was doing. All that it would do would be to bring up questions that he could not answer.

Somehow he would have to unscramble the writing himself. His father leading him to the book could not have been for naught.

The now familiar pull to the Phoenix Chamber surprised him as the next scheduled meeting had not been for a couple of days yet, but with the events that had occurred, the Order must have decided that an emergency meeting was necessary.

Harry moved to slip the book onto the shelf but decided against it. The book had been covered in at least a decade's worth of dust, and he reasoned that no one would miss it if he borrowed it for awhile.

Shrinking the map, cloak, and book and stuffing them into his pocket with his wand, he transformed into his animagus form and transversed the hallways effortlessly as the way to the Phoenix Chamber was now as ingrained into his psyche as any other place in the castle.

Effortlessly, he landed on the perch and found Fawkes and the rest of the Order already there. Fawkes was looking a little worse for wear, and Harry guessed that he was probably approaching a burning day and wondered if that somehow had something to do with his absence earlier.

Dumbledore nodded to him in a greeting and spoke, "Since we are now all here, I'd like to call this meeting to order. I know that you are all familiar with some of the events involving the Dursleys' death. As you probably guessed, Sirius was not the perpetrator of the crime."

Sirius muttered an, "Unfortunately," but Dumbledore ignored it.

"Rather it was indeed Voldemort. Severus, was there any kind of warning?"

"None. He must have wanted to take no chances, telling us only that he was planning something before his ultimate revenge against Potter. I of course would have informed you had I known differently."

"Of course."

Dumbledore agreed with a slight speculation in his tone, knowing Snape's ire at Harry's relatives and hearing something odd in his speaking of the last sentence.

"What you all need to know is that Harry was a witness to these deaths through his dreams, and I'm beginning to suspect that Harry is actually present in some form when he experiences his nightmares linked to Voldemort. To my knowledge, he has never been seen by anyone in these dreams, but he was hit by the Killing Curse last night in an effort to protect his relatives."

Molly Weasley gasped loudly in horror as her husband took her hand while other members around the table reacted as well.

Dumbledore turned a kind smile to the distraught woman, "Don't fret, Molly. He has been treated, and Madam Pomfrey has released him already."

Harry, however, felt a chill of fear rush through him. The experiences seemed so different when he could dismiss them as dreams, but his involvement being more integrated made the experiences that much more terrifying. It would, however, explain in part why his aunt could see him and how he could have used magic to put out the fire after Remus's house had been destroyed.

Snape spoke again, "We all know that Harry is connected to Voldemort through his scar, but how do we know that he was in fact hit by the Killing Curse and not simply having a reaction to the fact that his relatives were murdered by the Killing Curse."

Sirius stiffened, and again his response was stayed only by the restraining grip of Remus's hand against his forearm.

There was a brief flicker of Dumbledore's eyes in the direction of the lycanthrope, but it would have been missed by anyone not paying extremely close attention.

"According to Harry's account, he was hit by the Killing Curse before any of the Dursleys, and I have no reason to doubt the veracity of his words."

Apparently, Dumbledore had reason not to share that Lupin had somehow known about the incident, which only served to pique Harry's curiosity once again.

"Albus," McGonagall spoke, "if Harry is actually there shouldn't we find a way to stop him from dreaming? He could be in danger."

"Alas, the human mind needs to dream in order to survive, and continued use of the Dreamless Sleep Potion could lead to its ineffectiveness. I'm afraid that his dreams will have to be a burden for young Harry to bear, no matter how much we wish to spare him."

Moody did not speak, but it was obvious that he wanted to argue for Harry's presence in the group. However, after having the same argument for several meetings, Dumbledore had declared the topic closed.

Harry was actually relieved. He was not sure if he could join the meetings in his human form since approaching in that form had caused him pain that first night, and he would not be able to accept membership if it meant revealing his animagus form.

Changing the subject, Dumbledore spoke again, "Arthur, what is our position at the Ministry."

"There are still several people who are intensely loyal to Fudge and refuse to consider any other possibility than the one that he provides. I'm afraid that Percy is one of them, but with the increasing attacks, a lot of people are starting to wonder. Right now, there is a small group of us that accept the fact that Voldemort has returned, and we have met discreetly to discuss what we can do within the system to prepare to fight him. We're prepared to take stronger actions whenever it is decided to be necessary."

Dumbledore nodded. "Good. Hopefully by the time drastic action is needed, your smaller group will be considerably larger. Be careful. The Ministry is not free from Death Eaters."

"A fact of which I am well aware, I assure you." Arthur acknowledged.

Dumbledore turned reluctantly towards the two Marauders, "I'm afraid that we're going to need you out in the field again within the next week. You two have a knack for sneaking around unnoticed." With this his eyes sparkled, and Sirius could not completely hide a mischievous grin. "We'll discuss specifics later, but it will take you away from the castle for awhile and might keep you from being present at our next few meetings."

Harry wanted to cry out in protest, but he understood the necessity just as he understood now. They were no longer in such extreme danger since Voldemort had exacted his revenge on the Dursleys, and they were needed for a greater cause other than his own selfishness.

They had their roles, and he had his. None of them were necessarily happy about it.

During his introspection, other reports were given concerning attempted and successful alliances, and Harry forced himself to pay attention just as they were dismissed until the next regular meeting.

Harry stood in front of his team, his stomach churning uncomfortably in a mixture of nervousness and excitement. Today marked the first Quidditch game of the season, not to mention his first game as team captain. Trying to look confident, he delivered the speech that he had planned in true Oliver Wood fashion.

"All right everyone. This year we must defend our title as holders of the Quidditch cup, and we're going to do it. We have a good team, possibly the best team we've ever had, and this is the last year for many of you. Make it count."

"We created a monster," Fred whispered to George, and this time a thin smile did form on Harry's face.

"And more importantly, have fun out there."

"That's more like it!" George whooped as they mounted their brooms and flew onto the Quidditch field with Lee Jordan announced them, having already announced the other team.

"And this year the Gryffindor team will be defending their win of the Quidditch cup with Harry Potter leading them as captain. Though he is one of the youngest members of the team, he was the youngest player to join the team in over a century his first year..."

"Jordan, get on with it."

"Yes, Professor McGonagall. The captains are shaking hands in the center of the field."

Harry extended his hand, clasping his counterpart's firmly and murmuring a "good luck" before they each flew into their respective positions and Lee reviewed the rules.

"Madam Hootch has released the Quaffle, and the game begins. Katie grabs the Quaffle and passes it to Alicia who shoots it, but it's blocked by Patricia Smithe. Good try Alicia."

"Jordan, be objective."

"Of course, Professor."

Harry was paying enough attention to the game to be aware of what was going on, but he was concentrating on locating the Snitch. He was also well aware that the Hufflepuff rookie Seeker was keeping a close eye on him and would not allow himself to be distracted by the fact that Cedric used to occupy that position. His team was counting on him, and he would exorcise his personal demons later.

Harry dodged a Bludger that sailed too close to him for his own comfort, and a Weasley twin whizzed by him in hot pursuit.

It was then that he caught the metallic glint of the Snitch out of the corner of his eye. Immediately, he dove towards it.

The Hufflepuff seeker dove after him, but neither his broom nor his skill was comparable to Harry's, leaving Harry quite a lead in the pursuit.

The Snitch seemed to know that it had been discovered and began to dart off in the opposite direction into the melee of the tossing Quaffle and the violent beating of the Bludgers. This proved easy enough for the Snitch, which was small.

However, Harry had to pull off an acrobatic series of twists and turns to avoid both people and other flying objects while keeping the Snitch still in sight. A vibrant and liberating excitement began to build in him as he whipped through the air. Slowly but surely, he was gaining on the golden ball, and he reached out his hand to prepare to grab it.

Poor Dean's eyes grew as large as saucers as he realized that Harry and the Snitch were heading straight for him. He dove out of the way just as the pair shot through the goal that he was guarding.

The tops of Harry's fingers brushed the metallic surface, and after a split second, he was able to curl his hand around it victoriously.

"Harry Potter has caught the Snitch after some brilliant flying, earning Gryffindor 150 points." Lee announced over the cheering of the Gryffindor section of the crowd. "That means that the final score is Gryffindor 210 and Hufflepuff 30."

Smiling boldly, Harry landed on the field to join his excited teammates. One of the Weasley twins, he could not decide who in the shuffle of excitement, clapped him on the back saying, "Excellent catch! I thought Dean was going to faint on the spot when he saw you heading right towards him."

"Now we must have the mandatory celebration in the Gryffindor tower!" The other Weasley twin announced happily, a glint in his eyes suggesting that the two had prepared for such an occasion and that some of the treats would be of their own concoctions. It would be an interesting time in the Gryffindor tower that evening.

"You guys go on ahead. I have something that I have to do first. I'll meet you in a little while."

He had made plans with Sirius and Lupin to bid them farewell in the Shrieking Shack.

They had delayed their departure until the end of the Quidditch match, both wanting to see Harry play.

They had personally broken the news to Harry the night after the meeting, and he could get no more specific information out of them that he did not know before. He was also very disheartened to learn that because of the sensitivity of the mission, they would not be able to exchange owls. It was simply too dangerous.

Questioning Lupin on his ability to detect the Killing Curse on his was less than insightful as well. All that Lupin would say was that it was a gift, or rather an extension of a curse.

Harry made sure that there was no one watching as he deftly opened the passage at the base of the Whomping Willow, remembering the night only a couple years ago when his life had changed so drastically when Sirius Black became his godfather instead of a would-be assassin.

A part of him wanted to walk as slowly as possible to delay their leaving as long as possible, but he entered the shack and found the pair entirely too soon.

Sirius saw him, grinning wildly like a proud father, "Harry that was absolutely amazing."

Remus rolled his eyes, "And to think, until you walked in, he was fretting about how dangerous that stunt was like a worried mother hen."

"I was not." Sirius protested a little too strongly and a little too quickly, and Harry and Remus exchanged knowing glances.

A few moments of silence passed before Sirius spoke again, somewhat awkwardly, "Well, we'd better get going."

Harry nodded, a strange lump forming in his throat and his eyes stinging, "You two be careful."

Sirius's lips quirked into a forced smile, "Hey, 'careful' is my middle name."

Lupin winked at Harry, "Actually, Harry, his middle name is..."

"Don't you dare go any further Lupin, or I will be forced to retaliate." He pulled out the wand that Dumbledore had told him had mysteriously vanished from the Justice Department at the Ministry. He had missed it terribly, and he was itching to put it to good use. Being on a top secret mission did not ban them from having fun every once in awhile.

Remus looked at Harry in mock-horror, "Dumbledore is a very wise and a very resourceful wizard, but sometimes he has a very cruel sense of humor."

Harry knew what they were doing. They were trying to keep the departure light with their friendly banter, but his heart ached all the same, knowing that it was possible he would never see them again.

Sirius must have seen that their attempts were not being entirely successful, or he broke down himself because he pulled Harry into a crushing embrace, "You take care of yourself. If you have any more dreams, you go directly to Dumbledore."

"I will."

Sirius released him, giving him a hard look over, as if burning his image into his mind.

"Well, we really must be going now. Besides, Moony doesn't handle goodbyes well. He starts bawling, so we should probably save him from embarrassing himself."

"Don't believe a word he says, Harry."

Harry stood, watching them head towards the exit. Sirius took a final look over his shoulder and called out, "Don't do anything I wouldn't do," before transforming into Snuffles.

Harry wanted to call out that those words were rich coming from someone with such a reputation for being a rule breaker, but by the time he could get his voice to work again, they were gone.

As it turned out, although the farewell to the Marauders had been hard, it had been somewhat of a blessing.

The Weasley twins had introduced a new invention as a treat for the celebration.

However, some slight error in the making of their Turtle Truffles had caused a momentary panic as the spell did not wear off as quickly as it should. Thus, a good lot of the Gryffindor House had spent a couple of hours as the shelled reptiles instead of the intended couple of minutes.

The twins quickly escaped to their dormitory as soon as the Gryffindors began to regain their human exteriors, but if the whispered conversations were any sort of indication, several of the former Gryffindor turtles were planning something to give Fred and George a taste of their own medicine.

Now, Harry felt as if he was too exhausted to sleep. Every once in a while he would toss and turn and maybe catch a few minutes of sleep.

Finally giving up, he retrieved his Charms textbook and the book he had borrowed from the library, knowing that bringing the latter was probably a futile gesture as it had in previous nights.

Stretching out on one of the couches, Harry cracked open what he thought at first to be his Charms test and realized once he saw the symbols on the page that he had opened the wrong book.

He sighed with exasperation and was about to put it down when a strange feeling came over him along with a sure knowledge that he knew what to do.

He placed his hand in the center of the pages and began to mutter something in a language that he had never learned and that he did not understand. Watching incredulously, his hand began to glow and spark as if giving off electrical energy. A bright flash extended throughout the paged of the book, and for a moment all of the symbols disappeared.

Panic that he had somehow erased the entire book was replaced after a moment by a nervous excitement. The pages were once again being filled with text, but this time it was in English.

By now, his heart was hammering so strongly that he was sure that it was going to come up his throat. Scanning through the pages, he finally found for what he had been searching for so long.

****

**_Prophecy of the Phoenix_**

_A phoenix shall emerge in a time of great darkness and despair,_

_Sired by a stag from the lion's line_

_And born of a stainless bud._

_The mark of thunder's light shall be upon him,_

_Calling to the end the serpent's first reign of darkness._

_In the second reign of darkness,_

_Serpent and phoenix will be joined by blood;_

_The crimson bridge a bringer of death and salvation._

_Twice joined, Young Phoenix must be sacrificed._

_Whilst one lives so shall the other,_

_And together in death shall they fall._

Harry was finding it difficult to breathe.

A corner of his mind joked hysterically that the old bat Trelawney had actually been right all of these years.

In order to defeat Voldemort, he would have to die.

A/N: Okay. The eighth chapter is finished. I'm sorry that there wasn't much action in this chapter, but it can't be all action all of the time. At least this time the cliffhanger is not that bad at all if you even consider it to be a cliff hanger. Thank you all for your words of encouragement.

**XiaoBai** I know that it's angsty, and I've been told that I'm too hard on my characters. I'm glad that you're enjoying it though.

**Insane Pineapple from Naboo:** Hey, what instrument do you play? I play the flute myself. I tried to put a little more of Remus in this chapter, and I agree that I could do so much more with him. Don't walk around like a zombie. It will be okay. I promise. Hope to see you next time.

I don't know who you are, but here's more story for you.

**Chava** Lots of Quidditch in this chapter. I'm glad you enjoyed the communication with Padfoot. It was tons of fun to write. Luckily for us, the fifth book will be released, and I'm sure that it will put my version to shame.

**Karen:** Thank you. I thought that it fit too, and I was going for a bit of a shock value. I will continue. I promise.

**Sky Chief:** Wow. Speaking of delighted smiles, that's what appeared on my face when I read the review. I'm glad that you liked that line. It was one of my favorites, but I wasn't sure if anyone got my sense of humor. I hope that you continue reading.

**TexansFanNumber8:** If you want to be my proof reader you've got it, and you are special but not because of reading my story. Nuts. Someone finally asked me that dreaded question: How many chapters? The truth is, I don't know. I think that I'm about half-way done, but we'll just see.

**angelhitomi** I'm glad that you think so.

**becki** Hmmmm, did you get a new e-mail address? I doubt that there will ever be 1000 reviews, but I was particularly happy with my choice of the author's name as well.

**Ariel:** The sheer massiveness of the review was astounding and very appreciative. Believe me, I understand the battling of and I thank you for your persistence. I will now try to respond to your comments in order. First, I fear that this was another wind down chapter, which means that the next one will have so much more action and tension. At least that is my intent. I'm glad you liked McGonagall's reaction. I think that she has so much more to her than being the stern headmistress. I almost wrote a scene about the reaction, but I just couldn't make it work, so I had that flashback as a copout. I'm glad that it was effective. Lupin's ability has nothing to do with Petunia's ability to see him except for verifying that Harry is actually there in a sense. You are right that no one has seen him before, and how this feat was accomplished will be explored more later. As for the prophecy, I've worked and reworked it. I hope it came across all right.

**Meghan-aka-KRAMMIT-THE-FROG:** Well, there was another meeting. I hope that you liked it.

**john** Please believe me that the story will be much more effective in the end if they don't know. There will be articles in the future. Don't worry.

**HogwartsMoonGyrl03:** Thank you. I got both reviews, and you have been added to the list.

**kateydidnt** Yes, poor Harry, but I'm hoping to put a little more depth to him than just angst.

**shdurrani** Thank you, and I'm going, I'm going.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: **So it's been awhile since I've posted. I have not forgotten this story. I've just been incredibly busy with a bunch of stuff, and I won't bore you with the details. If all goes well, the next posting will take a lot less time.

**Harry Potter: Prophecy of the Phoenix - Chapter 9**

"No."

The denial came out a whisper from his lips as dissent and betrayal struggled from dominance inside of him.

Dumbledore had _known_ all along that he had been fated to die. That was why he was so insistent that Harry not join the Order. He thought the prophecy referred to a member title and thought that keeping him from the Order would protect him.

It also had to have been why Harry had seen a brief flicker of hope in the headmaster's eyes the night of the third task. He knew that the prophecy was continuing on its course, that there would be a way to defeat Voldemort permanently, and then Dumbledore must have remembered the final outcome.

Why hadn't Dumbledore told him? He wasn't a child anymore, and he had not been one for a long time. He deserved to know the truth. He was not some puppet of the wizarding world to be controlled by strings pulled at its choosing.

He could feel the inside of him being bathed with such an anger that he was beginning to flush with the internal heat, which was quenched by an icy cold dousing of despair and futility that hit him soon afterward.

If he was fated to die, it meant that everyone who had risked, who were risking, and who had given up their lives to protect him or because of him had done so in vain.

It was that thought that drove him back into the text, obstinately looking for some kind of loophole or way that he had misinterpreted it. Remembering that Fawkes _had_ told him that his animagus form would save his life.

There just had to be something.

It all could not have been for nothing.

He perused the writing an additional four times before slamming the book shut in frustration.

He was missing something. It simply felt _wrong_, so wrong that it was making him physically uncomfortable and slightly ill, but he could not figure out what it was.

Resignedly, he opened his Charms text only to find himself unable to focus, his mind awhirl with conflict. For Harry, the night lasted a few eternities before dawn finally decided to peek into the darkness.

Harry played with his breakfast despondently, having forced himself to take a few bites and finding that anything he put in his mouth tasted like cardboard. Maybe it was because his brain could not come up with a logical reason why he should take in nourishment if he was simply going to die anyway.

The cries of the post owls broke through the murmuring clamor of the Great Hall, and Hermione snatched up her copy of the _Daily Prophet_.

As she scanned the front page, an amazing transformation came over her. First her eyes grew so wide that they looked as if they were going to fall out of her head, and then a stony expression hardened over her face finally to be replaced with such anger that Harry swore that he could feel the heat flowing off of her.

"That-that… witch!" Hermione sputtered, being so irate that her logical speech processes were impeded.

"What is it, Hermione?"

At Harry's question, Hermione seemed to be conflicted and reluctant. Glancing quickly over at the Slytherin table, he saw Malfoy looking a bit too smug with himself, and he felt his heart and stomach sink like a lead weight.

Turning his attention back to his friend, he spoke too calmly, "You can't protect me, Hermione. I need to know what it says."

As she handed over the paper silently, Harry's first glimpse at the headline confirmed his suspicion. Apparently, Malfoy had felt that his threats at revealing what he said he knew about Harry's secret were no longer eliciting an appropriate response from the Boy-Who-Lived and had decided to turn his threats into action.

**The Boy-Who-Lived Abused by his Late Relations and Turned to the Dark Side**

By: Rita Skeeter

It has recently come to this reporter's attention from an invaluable inside source close to Harry Potter that the famous Boy-Who-Lived was tormented by his late relations, and it seems as if Potter now has emotional scars to mirror the famous one upon his brow. My inside source has reported that he has been lashing out and attacking his classmates as well as being unable to focus in his classes. It is now that this reporter would like to point out the parallel to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, who was also abused as a child.

This fact has caused this reporter not only to question what actually happened during the third task of the Tri-Wizard tournament last year in which fellow Hogwarts champion was killed but also to examine the convenient demise of Potter's relations not so long ago.

According Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, Potter's account of what happened during the third task was "complete and utter rubish," leaving the wizarding world and grieving parents to wonder what indeed happened to Diggory. Could the Boy-Who-Lived, longtime hero, have resorted to killing his classmate in an effort to retain his fame and have consorted with fugitive Sirius Black, escaped convict and supporter of You-Know-Who, to destroy his relations and his secret shame?

This reporter begs her readers to be very careful. As she reported earlier in the spring, Harry Potter is unstable and becoming more and more dangerous. It is entirely possible that we are witnessing the emergence of the next Dark Lord.

Harry set the paper down, silently fuming. His meal was forgotten as he stood from the table, not saying a word to anyone.

Hermione began to stand too in order to follow him, but Ron pulled her back down, urgently telling her to give Harry some time to himself.

Harry almost made it to the end of the Gryffindor table before he was stopped by the Creevey brothers.

Colin had tears in his eyes as he asked, "It's not true, is it Harry?"

As much as the pair annoyed him, and as much as he was utterly furious at the world and with his life, he could not bear to completely destroy the safety of someone else's world.

"No, Colin. It's all lies and twisted facts. Now, if you'll excuse me."

This time there was nothing to block his dramatic exit, and he could hear the room explode behind him with speculations and gossip as soon as he was on the other side of the door.

What Malfoy did not know was that he had actually done Harry a favor. The anger that he had sparked had drawn Harry out of his despair for the moment, and he now had something other to think about that his prophesized death.

For the first time in his life, Harry was thankful for the darkness and coolness of the dungeons. Their dreary nature not only fit his mood but also seemed to have somewhat of a calming effect on him.

He took his usual seat and opened his text to review the potion they would be brewing that day. He was so focussed on focussing on the book that he was startled by Snape's unctuous timbre.

"You're early, Potter."

"Yes, sir." Harry's attention was still aimed at the text though he could not make the words merge into a cohesive thought.

"You can't hide from them forever. You are the famous Harry Potter, after all."

"I know. I just wanted to give things some time to die down just a little."

"I thought you _liked _being the center of attention." Snape sneered though it seemed a bit forced.

Harry glanced up, deep, flashing emeralds betraying inner chaos despite his calm tone.

"You also thought that I was being pampered and spoiled by my relatives. Not everything is as it seems, professor. You of all people should know that."

There was a flicker of something unreadable in Snape's face for only an instant, but Harry continued before he could speak.

"Look, I'm not in the mood to trade insults with you this morning. Just leave me alone until the start of class. You can insult me and deduct as many points as you want then."

As soon as Harry spoke them, he regretted the words. Snape's face was hard, and Harry braced himself for the response. Instead of the expected harsh rebuke, Snape simply nodded before turning to settle behind his desk.

Harry's brow furroughed slightly as he held his attention on his supposed greasy git of a Potion's Master, thinking that perhaps he should take his own words to heart about things not always being as they appeared.

The rest of the class began to file in several minutes later, and Harry did his best to ignore their entrance, only looking up as his friends took their seats beside him.

Hermione had not calmed down, being more livid than Harry had ever seen her, and Ron seemed to have found himself in the unaccustomed position of trying to be level-headed.

"I should have never let her out of that jar." Hermione grumbled.

"It's all right, Hermione. If it wasn't her, it would have been someone else."

Hermione blinked, her anger interrupted as she heard the resignation in Harry's voice.

The anger he had shown earlier was more in character, and now it seemed as if he had given up.

"So," Malfoy goaded, "the great Harry Potter can't even defend himself against his muggle relatives."

Snape swept to the front of the room, interrupting the exchange before it could really begin.

"Everyone please take your seats. Hopefully you all reviewed the information in your text on Extractus Magikus Potion as you were instructed. For those of you who didn't, this potion is very difficult to get even moderately correct much less a decent product. Therefore, you will be working in pairs. When I call your names, sit with your partners."

Harry steeled himself, prepared to be grouped with Malfoy. Thus, he was shocked that he heard his name followed by, "Longbottom."

Harry hid a wince. Even though it was a relief not to have to deal with Malfoy and his arrogance, especially today, Neville was always so uptight around Snape that he never managed to brew a potion correctly, and mistakes in this particular potion could be disastrous.

In essence, Snape had doomed him to fail once again.

Snape managed to suppress the smirk that threatened to quirk the corners of his lips as he observed Potter's distress. Unknown to Potter, his decision to pair the boy with Longbottom had a two-fold purpose. Firstly, it kept up the pretense of singling Potter out for punishment, especially with students such as Malfoy in the class, and secondly, as much as he was loathe to admit it, he was placing his strongest student with his weakest student in hopes to keep his classroom relatively intact.

Despite Snape's frequent statements to the contrary, it did seem as if Potter had a talent for Potions though it had not shown itself until the beginning of this year. It appeared as though Diggory's death and Potter's subsequent summer had sobered him into seriousness in his studies, yet he did not flaunt the fact that he knew the answers like Granger.

Snape was beginning to recognize that there was more to him than being James Potter's spoiled brat, but he would never admit it aloud both because of his cover and his own stubbornness.

Neville was actually trembling a bit as Harry slid next to him, and Harry could almost sense Neville's anxiety as if he had been in his animagus form. A pang of sympathy hit him, and he forced what would pass for a small smile onto his face.

"Relax, Neville. Follow my lead, and we'll get through this just fine."

Neville looked grateful, and Harry set him to work tearing the Melba root, thinking that there was no possible way that even Neville in his flustered state could mess that task up,

It was, thus, with surprised horror that Harry watched as Neville moved to scrape the root into the cauldron at the wrong moment, which would result in a disastrous explosion.

"No!"

Even as he spoke the pieces of root were scraped off into the cauldron, but instead of falling into the potion, they hovered above it and then flew back onto the table.

Neville was staring wide-eyed at him, and Harry could feel the weight of the stares coming from his classmates.

Now suddenly conscious of a familiar weight in his right hand that he was almost positive was absent a mere moment ago, Harry shrugged as if nothing was out of the ordinary and held up his wand.

"_Wingardium__ leviosa._" He commented in explanation.

Neville looked as if he was about to argue, but it was Snape who kept the conversation from going any further.

"Is there a problem, gentlemen?"

"No, professor," Harry responded as Neville could only shake his head

They turned back to there work, anticipating a deduction of points that would never come, and the stares that had turned their way during the brief moment of commotion turned back to their own work, much to Harry's relief. Especially today, he did not need anything to make him stand out even more, but he was very much aware of a pair of onyx eyes narrowed in his direction.

Despite himself, Harry felt a short-rushed surge of gratitude towards his Potions Master. He was positive that Snape had seen what had happened, but instead of conforming to his normal character and emphasizing the situation just to make Harry uncomfortable, he had diffused the situation before it had actually had a chance to become a situation.

Class ended without further incident, and, surprisingly, Neville and Harry's potion turned out half-way decently though not nearly as well as Harry had hoped.

Feeling the need to do something, Harry motioned to Ron and Hermione to head out without him. They looked disappointed but not surprised, obviously thinking that he wanted to be alone.

He waited until everyone left before approaching Snape's desk.

"Thank you."

"For what!" Snape snapped, leaving Harry to believe for an instant that he had been mistaken, but there was something that Harry could not even describe in Snape's expression that confirmed his initial beliefs.

However, at least for the time being, they each had roles to play for both their sakes, and chances could not be taken.

Harry nodded curtly in understanding before proceeding to his next class.

Harry's eyes began to sting and water as he climbed into the Divination Tower. If it was possible, the fumes seemed to be thicker and more caustic than ever.

Beside him, Ron was gagging and sputtering phrases like, "Crazy old bat."

Trelawney glided in as if from nowhere, ignoring the coughs and teary eyes of her pupils. As she spoke, her voice seemed lower and more drawled than usual in an effort to sound mysterious.

"Today, we will be exploring our mediumistic abilities. This is one of the most difficult branches of Divination, and even I was surprised when my Inner Eye revealed to me that we would be studying it."

"Mediumistic?" Ron whispered to Harry.

"Talking to dead people." Harry whispered back.

"Oh, okay." Ron's eyes went wide, "What!"

Trelawney either did not hear Ron's outburst or she chose to ignore it. "Please, everyone, find somewhere comfortable to lie down."

Exchanging unsure glances with each other, the students did so.

"Now everyone, close your eyes and clear your mind. Try to open yourself to the other realm. Take slow, deep breaths."

Then Trelawney stopped talking, and a silence fell over the Divination Tower broken only by the soft snoring of a couple of Harry's classmates a few minutes later.

The change was gradual, but Harry felt his body become very heavy. He knew that he would be unable to move if he tried.

Harry felt a warmth and a haziness come about him that was not quite sleep, and the darkness beneath his eyelids morphed slowly into a thick fog. For a moment, his chest tightened, and he felt himself unable to breathe.

After a brief moment of panic, the fog scattered, revealing a figure that Harry had only seen in reflections, echoes, pictures, or early and forgotten memory.

"Mom?" he breathed, unable to fully accept that she was actually there.

The next thing that he knew, he was being held in a crushing embrace. He had theorized at the end of last year that Mrs. Weasley's hug was like that of a mother, but he found that it could not compare to the actual experience.

Returning the gesture, he could feel her shaking, and when she finally pulled back, tears were falling from her eyes and glistening upon her cheeks.

"The last time I held you, you were just a baby. Now look at you. You've grown into a handsome young man."

Harry shifted uncomfortably, averting his gaze as a warmth crept into his cheeks.

"You look so much like your father, but you're so serious."

Harry looked back at her blinking in surprise. "Serious? Ask anyone at Hogwarts. Trouble's always finding me."

"I'm afraid, Harry, that your 'trouble' is not the same as the mischief that your father and his fellow band of miscreants got themselves into."

The tears broke again, and Harry could read the pain in the emerald depths that mirrored his own.

"I'm so sorry, Harry. I never wanted to leave you alone in this world. I wish that I could have done more to protect you."

"You did plenty." Harry rushed to console her. "You died for me. You saved my life."

"Oh, Harry, don't you know? Didn't you realize? You saved yourself."

The inner rebellion that resulted from his mother's statement was expressed by the argument, "But the protection that you left…"

"Certainly was not a hindrance but did not save you from the Dark Lord. Harry, don't you think that there were others during that terrible time that sacrificed themselves for the ones that they love? You're the only one who lived. All my spell did was provide a barrier. It was you that rebounded the spell onto Voldemort himself."

Harry could not accept it. "There's nothing special about me."

"Of course there is. We knew it before you were even born."

Once again, the elusive scene that he had seen in the Phoenix Chamber flitted through his mind but would not stick.

"You were doing magic before you were even a year old. You should ask your godfather sometime about the incident that occurred at your first birthday party regarding his hair or lack thereof."

She smiled fondly at the memory before becoming serious once again and continuing.

"Your aunt and uncle's attempt to crush the magic out of you was more successful than they will ever know. I know that you just want a normal life, but someday, you are going to have to drop those barriers that you've placed around your magical powers."

Harry opened his mouth to argue again, but his mother continued before he could speak.

"I'm afraid that we don't have a lot of time left. Harry, I came to tell you to look at the book again. There's something important that you're missing."

"So I don't have to die?"

Tears pooled in Lily's eyes at the hope in his voice, but they did not fall as she spoke,

"No, I'm afraid that Voldemort bound himself to you when he used your blood. In order for him to die, you must die as well, and if you die he will as well."

"Then why is he still after me?"

"The magic that he used is very old. Most of the information has been lost. It would be almost impossible for him to know."

"How do you know if the information has been lost?"

"Things work differently here."

Harry nodded, used to accepting cryptic responses by now and knowing when a better answer would not be forthcoming. "Then I should just kill myself. That way no one else will die because of me."

"No, Harry. The link between you will be severed if you take your own life. That was the only protection built into the spell."

She looked him over lovingly once again as if burning his image and that moment into her head,

"I wish that I could tell you more. Don't give up, Harry. Remember that your father and I love you and are with you even though you can't see us."

He was pulled rather forcefully back into the Divination Tower. His head was throbbing mercilessly, but for once the origin was not his scar.

Beside him, Ron was yawning, obviously one of his classmates that had fallen asleep.

"Great nap, right Harry?"

"Yeah, great nap" Harry replied absently, wishing for just a little more time with his mother. He had so much to ask and so much to learn.

Harry awoke with a start. He had not expected to fall asleep with the anticipation of finding whatever his mother had told him about in the prophecy, but between not sleeping much anyway and the emotional day it had been, the exhaustion had conquered him before everyone had fallen asleep and he could sneak out.

The nightmares had not been far behind, but at least they had been the result of his subconscious demons and not the result of Voldemort and his real atrocities.

From the sound of it, everyone was very much asleep, and it as now all right for him to slip away.

After several readings of picking apart the prophecy, Harry felt his frustration mounting.

There was nothing there that he could see. Despite his mother's encouragement not to give up, he was seriously considering doing so and resigning himself to his fate.

He closed his eyes and spoke softy, "Help me, Mom. I've looked at the book and I don't see what you're talking about."

He opened his eyes, which did not focus on the words right away but the book itself. Suddenly, a thought struck him. His mother had not told him to read the prophecy again but to look at the book.

The lack of numbering on the pages had always bothered him, but he had dismissed it as a bother based on the fact that he had to flip through pages until he found what he wanted. Apparently the original language had not seen the need to include page numbers.

Now he took a closer look at the inside of the spine, bending the book backward to get better look, he could see there was almost-indiscernible evidence of a jagged edge between the pages, which could mean only one thing.

There was a page missing, meaning that it was quite possible that the prophecy did not actually end with his death.

**A/N: Well, there you have it. I am very excited about the next chapter. Thank you all for hanging in there with me. Hopefully, my life will allow me to post in a much more timely fashion. Now for my reviewers:**

**becki**What did the review gods do now? No fear, they don't have a special fondness for me either. The fifth book will be much better than this so-called attempt. I must say, though, that I am relieved that there will be no more stalking. Tell your apartmentmate that I appreciate it. See you next time. J

**Skysong**Thanks, I'll try.

**Tiger Eyes: **Believe me I want to update more than anyone.

**ranger**Thanks, I did.

**howling**** wolf:** There is method to my madness. He will have to die, but…

**Cataclysmic: **I'm glad there's a full range of emotions going although, the morbid humor was not necessarily intentional.

**CitriusBabe** I'm glad you're enjoying it, and I hope that you didn't die. As for the length, I don't have a certain length that I write for. I go where the stories take me. Some will be longer others shorter. I think that the next one will be longer, but I'm not sure.

**IndigoStar12020:** I hate people who ignore their stories too. I apologize, but ask my roommates how many times I've said, "I don't want to do my homework. I want to write."

**Starflash64: **I did work on it but didn't finish it. Thanks for the info.

**JerseyGirl03:** Thanks, sorry for the wait.

**jake** Okay, consider it done.

**sopybubbles**Criticism written in a positive manner is always welcome. Thank you. I happen to agree, and I'm hoping to add more in. Keep reading Harry will die, but…

**mysia** Thank you, I will do what I can.

**Thelvyn** Shh… don't ruin it for everybody.

**SandraJo** Yes, the wait for the next book is driving me insane too. Sorry for the wait on

this story.

**XiaBai** Oh no, another dying reviewer on my hands. It's up now come back to life.

**sherman** Rest assured. No crazy Harry. I'm glad that you like the Oliver Wood impression

**HogwartsMoonGyrl03:** No problem. Trust me. You'll like Harry dying.

**Xirleb** Don't skin shdurrani, but I'm glad that you liked it.

**kateydidnt** Don't worry about not signing in. The gravidius mortis potion I made up simply because I needed something, but you're dead on with the second part. I'm glad the prophecy was not so bad. Harry will die though.

**t.a.g**I'm not really a cruel person really… Let's assume that the members of the Order know about the prophecy, so yes, I suppose Snape would know. As to Remus's sensing of the Killing Curse, I wrote it in three of the five versions of the chapter exactly what happened. It didn't sound right, so I cut it. As soon as I can get it in and get it to sound right, yes.

**Iniysa** Thank you, hope you enjoyed it.

**Kelzery** No more what?

**Hermione-star:** I will keep going, and I'll give it a shot.

**Illustrious Sorror:** Of course more on Harry's destiny. That's what this story is all about.

**Lily Skylo:** I hate when I close the box! Thank you for coming back. I'm very glad that you were not bored, and I like Lupin and Back too. Hopefully you received an e-mail.

**Kim:** It wasn't that bad was it. Was that the loud scream I heard? Wow I'm sorry. J

**Charma1219:** I hope this one was too.

**Lily Rainwater:** Can you cast a spell on my evil teachers who won't let me sleep let alone write? I'm sorry once again that the wait was so long.

**john** Umm… you'll like it I promise.

**Karen:** Thank you. I will finish I promise. I think that we're about halfway done.

**Von:** smacks forehead And I had it edited too… you were the only one to say anything. Yeah, I don't like reading prophecies, especially, and I don't particularly like my writing of them. Nothing happened in this chapter either. I'm sorry. Please give me one more chapter, The next one promises excitement I promise. Thank you for your honesty.

**Jarvey** I'll try

**live**** the rainbow:** Thanks for not ruining it. There are tons of wonderful fics out there, but thank you. Rambling is perfectly acceptible.

**Ariel:** I'm glad I survived the initiation. Sorry about the book thing, but I wanted to have a little fun with all of you. Harry was in shock so not really able to react like that. I hope this chapter detailed his emotions more to your liking. As for your last theory, all I have to say is yes and no. J

**Insane Pineapple from Naboo:** winks Maybe. Padfoot and Remus will come back. Until then we'll all miss them. Conversing is natural after a while. I don't know why. P.S. I just gave my senior flute recital using piccolo, flute, alto flute, and bass flute. Hve fun

**Corie** I understand. I hope that you found this one.

**JaimeyKay** Like I'm one to talk, but when are you updating Against All Odds? I understand busy. Thanks for the review.

**shdurrani**Did you know that someone threatened to skin you? Yes, poor Harry.

**Angel Baby:** Glad that you like the idea.

**TonyaAnn**: Why thank you. I hope that you are enjoying I've added you to the list.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N:** Okay, I know that it has been forever, but please have pity. My loyal and faithful computer (note the sarcasm) completely died, taking the majority of this chapter with it. Next came breaking my toe, final exams, and graduating. To make up for it, this chapter is longer than the rest. (Actually, it was just simply the chapter that would not end.)

I hope that you enjoy it.

**Harry Potter: Prophecy of the Phoenix – Chapter 10**

As the weeks rolled around and the seasons changed, Harry was still receiving awkward glances from his fellow schoolmates, but they were becoming fewer and more far between with each passing day. After all, gossip is never static, and the old is always replaced by the new, and for this, Harry was grateful.

His life had more or less settled into that of a somewhat normal one of a fifth year student with his search for his destiny hitting the proverbial brick wall when he found the missing page. There had been no visions recently and no uncontrolled magical outbursts. His Quidditch skills had never been better, and he was looking forward to the match against Ravenclaw the week after the winter break.

The only thing that could be considered abnormal were his late night visits to the Order meetings where he was always disappointed to find that Sirius and Lupin had yet to return.

Presently, Harry was in Transfiguration, and as McGonagall stood in front of the fifth year Gryffindors and Ravenclaws, Harry thought that he detected something amiss in her stern expression, especially in her eyes.

"As you are all doubtlessly aware, your O.W.L.s are quickly approaching. While it is quite important that you all continue with a strict study regimen, it is also important that you take some time to have a little fun."

Absolute silence fell upon the classroom as the students exchanged startled glances with each other, unable to believe that those words had actually come out of McGonagall's mouth.

Harry could now see a definite sparkle in McGonagall's eyes that reminded him distinctly of Dumbledore.

"If any of you repeats what I have said, I will adamantly deny saying it. Now, it has been a tradition throughout my many years of teaching to have all of you participate in a special lesson the last day before the holiday break. As you have all learned there are witches and wizards called animagi that are able to take an animal form. What you probably do not know is that every witch and wizard has the potential to have an animal form. However, in most instances this potential goes unrecognized. Today you all will have the opportunity to see your own potential form. Watch carefully."

She pointed her wand at a mound of clay in front of her and spoke, "_Revealus animagus_."

The mound of clay began to move almost as if it had become a viscous liquid, stretching and molding itself into the perfect replica of McGonagall's tabby cat form.

"Wicked." Ron breathed in excitement.

The rest of the room was also bursting with exuberance, except for Harry, who was seized by a sensation of panic.

He had to participate, not doing so would raise too many suspicions, but he could not reveal his animagus form either. He was stuck between a rock and a hard place, and he had to discern quickly a way out of his predicament.

Around him, the class was eagerly chanting the spell.

"Look, I'm a dog!" Ron shared, unable to contain his enthusiasm.

"An Irish setter to be more precise." Hermione added smartly, casting a pointed look at Ron's mop of red hair.

"And you're a fox. Leave it up to you to have an animagus form known for its cleverness." Ron replied rolling his eyes with mock sarcasm, and before Hermione could continue the banter, he turned to Harry. "Harry, why haven't you cast to spell yet? Come on. We want to see your form."

Unable to come up with a valid excuse to desist from casting the spell, Harry raised his and arm, finding that the wand was a little slippery in his hand due to sweat.

"_Revealus animagus._" He commanded, closing his eyes and concentrating intently on his father's animagus form. The magic tingled through his arm as if there were thousands of tiny insects swarming in his veins.

"Wow, Harry." Hermione breathed, and for one heart-stopping moment, he was sure that his secret had been revealed.

Steeling himself, he opened his eyes to find a perfect replica of Prongs depicted in the clay.

Ron clapped him on the back. "You're a stag just like your dad."

Harry forced a smile onto his face as the implications of what he had just done began to whirl viciously in his head. They had been led to believe that spells were an essential part of magic, that the words and particular actions were responsible for the magical end-product. After all, putting the emphasis on the wrong syllable in "_Wingardium leviosa"_ resulted in the spell failing.

What he had just done should have been impossible.

McGonagall made her rounds around the classroom, complimenting those who had successfully completed the task, and helping those who had not quite gotten it yet. While she took notice of Ron and Hermione's forms, Harry's caused her to stop in her tracks.

For a moment she stared at the form in the clay, her mind elsewhere. Catching herself, she offered Harry a small and sad smile and continued on.

Walking towards the Great Hall after class Ron and Hermione were excitedly discussing their potential forms when a sudden thought hit Harry.

With only the words, "I'll meet you in the Great Hall," he raced back to the Transfiguration classroom.

McGonagall was at her desk, her stern mask replaced, concentrating on a scroll she was grading and nearly jumped when Harry spoke her name.

"Yes, Potter, what can I do for you?"

"You taught Transfiguration when my parents were at Hogwarts, right?"

"That's correct." McGonagall replied, a bit of a frown puckering her brow as she tried to figure out where the conversation was going.

"Do you remember my mom's animagus form?"

"Potter, do you know how many hundreds perhaps thousands of students I've taught over the years?"

When Harry's face fell in obvious disappointment, her face softened.

"But it would be very hard to forget your mother's form. You see, Harry, your mother had what we call a magical animagus form, meaning that her form was that of a magical animal. She had the potential to become a unicorn, and it was because of this form that she would never realize her potential."

"Why not?"

Harry had attempted some independent research into the subject when he had found the page missing, hoping to find some support to his theory about how his phoenix form would save his life, but he could find no information on magical animagi.

"It takes a lot of energy to transform into a magical animal. Though your mother was a very talented witch, she just did not have that amount of power."

"So it's not common to have a magical animagus form."

Harry's comment was a statement and not a question, and internally he bemoaned the fact that once again there was something about him that set him apart from everyone else.

"No, in fact the only other person that I have known to have a magical animagus form is Professor Dumbledore, and even he is unable to transform.

The blood seeped from Harry's face. The fact that his mother was unable to transform was one thing, but the fact that Dumbledore, the greatest wizard of the century, was unable to transform was completely another. The implications of that fact with consideration to the fact that Harry had transformed completely by accident were astounding.

"Harry, are you all right?" McGonagall had noticed his face taking on the unnatural pallor.

"I'm fine." He started to turn and leave before another idea hit him. "Professor, are there any books in the library that have information on magical animagi?"

"There are, but they are all in the Restricted Section. Even those tend to be a bit sketchy." She interrupted him before he could even begin to ask his next question. "I suppose that you would like Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley included on the pass as well."

Harry's first instinct was to decline, as he had needed to leave Hermione and Ron out of all of his plans previously. Now, however, he could use his mother's form as an excuse for the research.

The corners of his lips curled subtly. It would be nice to have the trio working together as if it were old times, even if he had an ulterior motive.

"Yes, thank you, Professor."

McGonagall had not been lying when she had told him that even the information in the Restricted Section about magical animagi was sketchy. Even with Hermione's exuberant and Ron's reluctant assistance, Harry had still not found exactly what he was looking for.

It seemed as if animagi took on the characteristics and instincts of their particular forms, but since magical animagi were so rare, it was not evident in the literature whether or not such animagi would be able to take on the magical characteristics of their animals.

In Harry's personal experience, he had been able to sense emotions, and the more time that he spent in his form, especially at the meetings, the better honed this sense was becoming. Unfortunately, this was an instinct normal to the phoenix form, analogous to a more sensitive olfactory sense in a canine, and not a magical ability.

So far, he could only hope that his suspicions regarding Fawkes's prediction and how it fit with the prophecy were correct. At least then his life would not have been in vain.

After an exhaustive day of research and studying for the O.W.L.s, Ron had insisted that there would be no work of any kind on Christmas, and Hermione had felt the need to make up for it today by increasing the workload, Harry actually found himself in a peaceful slumber on the night of Christmas Eve.

His dream of flying unencumbered by any worry or burden was rudely interrupted as the now familiar menacing mist signaling the beginning of a vision wrapped itself around Harry.

_Before the mist could clear, Harry felt a numbing chill that sank painfully through him to his bone. Instinctively, Harry wrapped his arms tightly around his chest in an attempt to conserve body heat, and he found himself shivering uncontrollably._

_The only part of him that was not inhumanly cold was his scar, which was burning with a molten ferocity._

_As the mist scattered, Harry found himself in a barren wasteland devoid of any color except various shades of gray. _

_The cold intensified as Lily's dying screams began to resound inside of Harry's skull, bringing his attention to the sea of dementors in front of him, surrounding Voldemort himself in a semi-circle._

_"Welcome, my faithful dark servants, back into the service of Lord Voldemort. Your loyalty both past and present will be rewarded in ways that others have denied you. Tonight as a celebration of our renewed alliance I have brought you a gift, a token if you will, that will represent only a fraction of the rewards you will receive."_

_Voldemort made a motion with his hands, and two robed and hooded Death Eaters emerged dragging out two very familiar figures._

_A crushing pain erupted in Harry's chest as his heart skipped a beat and his breath caught in his throat._

_Lupin looked furious and kept shooting glances at Sirius, who looked as if he was walking into his worst nightmare, which of course he was._

_A word of protest left his lips garbled from almost paralyzed vocal cords, and deep within him, there was a part sarcastically recalling Sirius's self-proclaimed middle name._

_The sight of the prisoners caused a surge of excitement from the dementors, and Lily's voice became louder and more prominent in his mind. Black spots began to dance wickedly in front of his eyes, and he was not even aware that his legs had given way such that he had now fallen to the ground._

_Through sheer force of desperation, Harry clung to the unraveling rope of consciousness, determined not to fall into the dark abyss._

_Two of the dementors stepped forward towards the pair of Marauders, their ghastly hands reaching for the hoods of their cloaks to perform the kiss._

_"Expecto patronum."__ Harry whispered without an effect._

_He watched with horror as the hoods began to be removed._

_Through an inner strength supplied by determination, panic, anger, and love, Harry pulled himself to his feet and brandished his wand once again, snapping, "Expecto patronum."_

_There would be no one more surprised than Harry with the outcome of the spell._

_A burst of power unlike that he had ever experienced ripped through him with such fierceness that it sizzled pain through his network of synapses. The familiar stag burst from his wand, its normally silvery physic consumed with flames. Harry's brain had barely the time to process this inconsistency when a second fiery form leaped from his wand: a unicorn._

_Almost dropping his wand in shock, Harry tightened his grip on his wand and focused his mind on the spell._

_The pair of animals charged the pair of dementors that were in the process of removing their hoods, and Harry quelled the fear screaming inside of him that once again he was too late._

_Horn and antlers gored the vile creatures through the torso in tandem._

_Inhuman shrieks such that Harry would never forget rang through the air as the flames extended to engulf the dementors' entire bodies. Flesh and robes began to melt away and then disintegrate into ash._

_Souls long entrapped inside of the body fled, heading for whatever afterlife they had earned._

_Harry's wand was growing hot in his hands, and he was unsure how much longer he would have the strength to hold the spell._

_As the patroni continued their attacks on the dementors, Harry noticed that the Death Eater holding Sirius had backed away in shock, and the one holding Lupin had slipped something into Lupin's hand._

_Reacting immediately, Lupin turned and stunned the Death Eater, who had slipped Lupin his wand as well as the one that had previously held Sirius. It was only then that Harry understood that Snape had just risked exposing himself to Voldemort for the pair of Marauders, who he despised._

_Sirius grabbed his wand and they both were about to disapparate when Voldemort hissed angrily, "Potter."_

_Harry's scar was searing with a higher degree of agony than it ever had, but Harry forced himself to keep his focus, trying to send a mental message to Lupin and Sirius to go and go quickly._

_"Show yourself, Potter, or do you not have the bravery to face me without hiding in the shadows?"_

_"Harry?" _

_Harry could not hear his godfather speak his name, but he saw Sirius's mouth move to form the syllables._

_The wand was becoming too hot to hold, and his energy was waning. Again he begged with them to leave, ignoring Voldemort's taunts._

_Lupin seemed to be trying desperately to convince Sirius to go, but Harry's godfather was searching frantically for evidence of his godson's presence._

_The unconsciousness that he had fought for so long was now wrapping its tentacles around his legs and pulling him under. He was now fighting a losing battle._

_With all of his energy reserves wasted, he collapsed bonelessly to the ground though his hand was still clenched around his wand. The last thing that he saw before finally being pulled under was the Marauder pair finally disapparating._

It was a surge of foreign magic that forced Harry into consciousness. Still, his body felt incredibly heavy as if he had no energy left to move, and the first thing that he was conscious of was that his wand was clutched tightly in his hand.

He felt someone slip his glasses onto his face as he lifted weighted eyelids. The image of Dumbledore's juxtaposed relieved and alarmed countenance came into focus with Hermione and Ron standing together looking amazingly frightened in the background.

"Harry? How do you feel?"

It was a different question that Harry tried to answer, one that he believed was more crucial, but his tongue felt thick and his coordination seemed off as he tried to speak, "The dementors have joined Voldemort."

Dumbledore's eyebrows raised slightly at the syllables that seemed to be gibberish. Noticing that the young man was shivering and his face seemed flushed, the elder wizard placed the back of his hand to Harry's forehead to find it radiating heat.

Turning to Harry's worried friends he requested, "I need you two run and fetch Madam Pomfrey, and tell her to bring a Fever Reducing Potion."

Harry hissed in pain as Dumbledore's gentle motion to sweep the sweaty hair from his forehead brushed across his scar.

"Harry, I need you to try and repeat what you told me. I could not understand what you were saying."

Harry repeated his words, but he could tell from his headmaster's expression that they were still not understandable.

"All right. Just relax. Madam Pomfrey will have you feeling better shortly."

Stabbing, sharp pains began to originate from his scar. His surroundings began to fade from around him, and despite Dumbledore's commands to remain awake, he resigned himself to let the mist take him again.

"Nott, Snape, the two of you have failed me miserably." Voldemort hissed, his red eyes flashing with fury.

_"I'm sorry, My Lord. Please have mercy. I beg of you." Nott groveled pitifully, hitting his knees and trying to kiss Voldemort's robes._

_"_Crucio!_"__ Voldemort held the curse, smiling at the screaming, until Nott fell into unconsciousness. Shaking his head in disgust, he murmured, "Pitiful."_

_Harry was gasping for breath. The mixture of extreme fury and the Unforgivable had left him in agony, and he had been unable to remain on his feet. Not wanting to display weakness even though Voldemort could not see him, he forced himself to his feet._

_His serpentine eyes then turned to Snape, "Will you grovel in an attempt to appeal to me as well?"_

_Snape bowed his head but did not hit his knees, "No, My Lord.__ I have failed you and will accept any punishment that you deem necessary."_

_"Very well said, Severus.__ It shall be as you have said._ Crucio!_"_

_The second _Cruciatu_s curse hit Harry worse than the first, and he found that once again he could not remain standing. A brief thought wondering if his knowing Snape somehow increased the intensity of the pain he felt in his scar was overridden by that same pain. Cries fell from his vocal cords, seeming as unreal to his ears as the cries originating from his Potions Master._

_Snape too fell unconscious, and Voldemort left the room sending one last disgusted look at his fallen followers._

_With Voldemort's increasing physical distance, Harry was able to get more of a hold on himself and made his way over to Snape where he kneeled beside him._

_Snape looked awful, worse than he normally did. His sallow skin was so pale that it appeared green, and his breathing did not sound exactly regular. Remembering that Dumbledore had told him that the Cruciatus could have tricky side-effects as well as that it could cause permanent insanity if held for too long as in the case of the Longbottoms, Harry felt it urgent to get Snape to Hogwarts to receive medical attention._

_"Professor?__ Professor, can you hear me? You have to get up."_

_Belatedly he kicked himself. Of course Snape could not hear him. The only one that ever had was his aunt._

_Quickly, he shook off that image and called to his professor again though he thought it would be in vain._

_Snape winced and moaned before opening his eyes, which were literally blood red due to massive amount of broken capillaries, and then, to Harry's amazement, focussed his gaze right on him._

_Despite pain at the movement, Snape drew his face into his characteristic frown. "Potter, what are you doing here? You are going to get yourself killed!"_

_Snape was already pushing himself up due to his ire at his former rival's son. It was clear, though, that his coordination was not what it should have been. His legs and arms were trembling, and the strength to hold him upright seemed tremulous._

_Harry wanted desperately to help him but knew that the help would not be accepted even if he could actually give it._

_Shooting Harry a look daring him to comment on his obvious weakness, Snape ranted softly as not to draw attention to them._

_"Follow me, Potter, and be quick about it. I swear that as soon as we get back to Hogwarts I am going to deduct every last point from Gryffindor due to this stupid decision. What were you thinking coming here? Not to mention how you actually got here in the first place. Not even Dumbledore will protect you from your stupidity this time."_

_Snape continued his tirade all the way to the apparation site, and Harry followed silently, not bothering to correct him. Snape's anger seemed to give enough energy to his unstable limbs to continue on with the journey, so Harry did not see the need to take that away from him._

_At their arrival, Snape demanded, "Give me your hand, Potter."_

_Now was the time to inform him of the impossibility. "Professor-"_

_"This is not the time for arguments." Snape snapped as he reached for Harry's hand, only to find his arm pass right through Harry._

_Snape looked up at Harry in shock, his eyes growing wide before narrowing again with apparent anger._

_"That's what I was trying to tell you. I'm not really here. I'm only dreaming."_

_Snape's anger melded into something else as he shot the young Gryffindor a look that he could not place, "_This_ is one of your dreams?"_

_Harry nodded. "You need to get back to Hogwarts. He held the curse for a long time."_

_Snape dismissed Harry's concern for his well being. "But you-"_

_"Will leave this place as soon as I wake up or the vision ends. I don't think it will be long."_

_As if confirming his words, Harry's visage began to fade. Stubbornly, Snape waited until his pupil's image was completely gone before apparating to Hogsmeade._

This time it was Harry who forced himself into awareness and found the Mediwitch hovering over him in the Hospital Wing.

Back in his physical body, his tongue still felt swollen and sluggish as he asked for Dumbledore.

"You may speak to him after you've taken some potions and gotten some rest." Pomfrey admonished, placing a goblet into his hands.

"No!"

This syllable was clear and urgent, and Pomfrey sighed, calling for the headmaster.

Dumbledore stepped out of the shadows, and Harry noticed that both Ron and Hermione were hanging back as well. Madam Pomfrey must not have been able to get rid of them.

"What is it, Harry?"

Concentrating on forming each syllable, Harry spoke slowly, "Snape needs help."

Dumbledore's face grew more anxious, and he did not acknowledge the drop in title from Snape's name.

"Is he at the apparation point?"

"Yes."

"Thank you, Harry." He perused the still-feverish boy's features, noting that beads of sweat were beginning to pepper his forehead, and the famous scar looked bright and angry. "I will return shortly. Don't give Madam Pomfrey any more of a hard time."

Harry was already beginning to doze, and Madam Pomfrey was back at his side, aiding him with his potions. He could only hope that the rest of his slumber would hold peace.

Dumbledore found Snape not far from the apparation site and found that Harry had not been exaggerating.

Snape looked shaky at best, like a newborn foal just learning how to use its legs.

"Severus!" He called, rushing over to the man.

"Albus." Snape replied in relief, allowing the elder to support some of his weight.

"How long?"

"I don't know. As long as it took for me to lose consciousness."

At Dumbledore's look of horror, Snape expounded.

"We got off easy. I thought that he was going to kill us. How did you know to come here?"

"Harry told me."

Dumbledore was certain that he did not like the glazed look in his Potion Master's eyes, and he was concerned that Snape's steps were becoming more precarious with each one that they took.

"I saw him, Albus."

Dumbledore halted in surprise. "What?"

"I thought that he was actually there until my hand passed right through him."

Dumbledore felt suddenly tired. Finally, he had proof of what he had feared for months now. Harry's dreams were not dreams at all. They were something much more real.

More wearily than before, he began to help Severus back to the castle.

"Did Voldemort see him?"

"No, but he sensed him earlier when- Merlin, Albus. I've never seen anything like that. I didn't know it was possible."

Snape was beginning to ramble, and he never rambled.

"Maybe you should start from the beginning." Dumbledore suggested gently.

"Azkaban has fallen. The dementors have once again formed an alliance with Voldemort."

The elder wizard closed his eyes for a moment as if in pain. He had warned Fudge that this exact thing would happen, and despite everything that the Order had put into motion, this was something that he had been unable to prevent. If Fudge would have just listened, the situation would not have been so dire.

Voldemort would still have the alliance, but he would not have had the complete access and control of the prison.

"Nott and I were supposed to present Lupin and Black to be Kissed."

Dumbledore was feeling older by the minute, and he was afraid that by the time they reached the castle, Snape was going to have to support him. He wished fervently, much as Harry often did, that he was no one special and that he would no longer have to bear this burden.

"They were captured?"

"Earlier that day. I was prepared to sacrifice myself if needed for their escape, but I could not prevent the torture they experienced upon capture."

Despite the mutual animosity between Snape and especially Sirius, there was a hint of apology to his voice, and Dumbledore placed his free hand on Snape's arm in a placating gesture.

"They knew the risks and were prepared to take them. You do not bear responsibility for that you could not prevent."

Snape did not acknowledge the words but continued. "I was about to slip Lupin his wand and face the consequences when two fiery creatures charged the dementors. They were just like patroni, but they weren't silver and-"

"And what?" Dumbledore prodded gently.

"They did not just scare the dementors. They killed them. I used the distraction to give Lupin his wand and allowed him to stun me." Snape took a deep breath. "Voldemort was convinced that Potter was responsible for the creatures."

"What were the forms?"

"Stag and unicorn."

Remembering that Minerva had relayed Harry's interest in his mother's animagus form, he responded, "I think Voldemort was correct."

With these words, the pair crossed the threshold of the castle, looking battle worn and weary. However, Snape began to protest violently when he realized that he was being led to the Hospital Wing and not to the dungeons.

Dumbledore would not hear any of it. "Severus, I want Poppy to take a good look at you and make sure that no permanent damage has been done. Besides, Harry is already there, and it will be easier to keep an eye on the two of you if you are in the same place."

Before Snape could question Harry's presence in the Hospital Wing, the pair was entering it, and Pomfrey was ushering Snape to a neighboring bed.

It was Snape, after looking over at where Harry was lying in an obviously feverish sleep, that questioned the mediwith with on Harry's health. Dumbledore had to quickly hide the look of amusement that crossed his features, melting away some of the age they had acquired during his debriefing with Snape.

Pomfrey seemed distracted by Snape's own condition as she scanned him, but her anxiety could not be completely hidden.

"I can't seem to bring his fever down, despite the fact that he's had a dose of Fever-Reducing potion."

"Have you given him chocolate?" Snape suggested gruffly as he was handed his own goblet of potion. His senses informed him that was the potion he routinely used to ease the effects of the _Cruciatus_.

Pomfrey was obviously confused. "Chocolate?"

"Dementors, Poppy." Dumbledore informed her solemnly.

Hermione, who was sitting by Harry's bedside and had overheard everything, gasped, and Ron, sitting right beside her, took her hand and squeezed it. The pair had engaged in a battle of their own to remain there and had won for the time being, but it was only at that moment that Snape had noticed their presence.

This information only seemed to frazzle the mediwitch more. "Dementors? How in the world… Nevermind, I don't want to know. I'll be right back."

"If you would be so kind as to bring some for Severus as well." Dumbledore's request earned him one of Snare's infamous glares.

"Of course."

Madam Pomfrey bustled out and bustled back in, depositing a nicely-sized slab of chocolate in Snape's hand and heading to Harry's bedside to try to wake him up enough to eat some.

If Snape was resistant to the chocolate, he absolutely balked at the Dreamless Sleep potion Pomfrey put into his hands. His protests that he was fine and could sleep in his own room fell on deaf ears.

Much later, Dumbledore returned to check on the occupants of the Hospital Wing. Hermione and Ron were still in the chairs beside Harry's bed but had fallen asleep with Hermione's head resting on Ron's shoulder.

Harry's fever had yet to break.

Madam Pomfrey had pulled Dumbledore aside later and had reported that Harry's magic reserves had been so depleted that they may never return to what they were. Only time would tell.

In the meantime, his abilities would be obviously impaired for an indeterminate amount of time though she believed he would be functional enough by the beginning of the following term.

Snape was sleeping soundly but still appeared to be too pale. At least he had suffered no permanent injuries due to the prolonged exposure to the _Cruciatus._

Dumbledore himself had yet to fall asleep since he had been awakened by Ron's frantic shouts that Harry had a dream and they could not wake him up. He knew that if Madam Pomfrey caught him there at this wee hour, she would lecture him on paying attention to his own health.

The sun was beginning to rise in the skyline, and as he looked somberly around the Hospital Wing, he whispered sadly, "_Happy Christmas._"

**A/N:** It's finally done. Wow, that took a lot out of me. Thanks for reading, and don't forget to review. Now for the one-on-one:

**Jake:** Lol… no problem.

**Penelope:** Thanks.

**CinnamonGold** Now if I told you that, it would ruin the surprise.

**Venus:** Wow… there's a lot to respond to here. Firstly, believe me, Harry does see the potential and is hoping for it quite strongly. I tried to sneak that in somewhere in this chapter, and I hope that you guys found it. As for the trio, you're right. I really wanted some actual interaction in this chapter, but I still feel as though its background. Next chapter will be better. Did I say that I didn't like to write Snape? I very well could have, but what I meant to say is that writing Snape is hard for me. It is one thing to explore his potential and quite another to go out of character. Thanks for the review and the constructive criticism.

**Ariel: **Well, I'm glad that you liked the philosophical aspect of the last chapter. I had hoped that the last two chapters would serve as a break before this one so that I would not get criticized for doing too much to Harry. I'm also glad that you like Lily. Usually James gets all the attention. I'm also surprised at how many people liked the missing page. Thanks.

**fiddy**I hurried, but the computer gods hate me. Thanks for reviewing.

**ryleeblack**Yes, incredibly hard to find. As for pairings, they will be sneaking up in this fic but will not be part of the main focus until the sequel if I write one.

**Kitty:** Thank you. I tried.

**Lady Reaper of Shadows:** Well, the author has to have a little fun somehow. I hope that you liked the latest installment.

**dinkum**Thank you. I'm glad that you liked the missing page.

**Englishgirl** Thankyou very much.

**howlingwolf**I hope that you found my answer to your satisfaction.

**Iniysa** I'm glad, and I appreciate you telling me so.

**live**** the rainbow:** Tell the gods of irony that if they would just leave my computer alone, these chapters would come out so much faster. Thank you for your encouragement.

**JaimeyKay** Thanks for the line. Believe me I understand. Don't forget to take the time to breathe!

**Sakura Le:** Isn't that the best way to do hw? I try very hard to edit, but typos will come out. I'm glad that they don't seem to be too distracting though. Thank you.

**Skysong** I'm glad. That means that you'll keep reading. I will definitely try.

**Von:** Let me reassure you that Harry will not be buried alive. However, that does not mean that Dumbledore has the missing page, and if he does not have it, then he actually knows less than Harry about the prophecy. Scary thought, isn't it? Thanks for being a faithful reviewer.

**Jersey**** Girl03:** Well, he does actually have to die, but that might not be the end of it.

**Arizosa** Now don't blame Dumbledore. The poor man only wants to protect him. I am not telling where the page is. I'm glad that you like Snape. Thanks.

**Jarvey** Thank you.

**ranger**Again, I really tried. Thank you.

**Charma1219:** blushes Thanks.

**becki** You know, I just had a scary thought. You wouldn't happen to be a college student would you because that means that your apartmentmate would be gone for the summer, and then there would be no one there with common sense. "J" actually does not stand for anything, though ironically it is the first initial of my first name, but do you actually think that I would give that info out to a stalker? The "J" was supposed to be a smiley face, but html formatting screwed it up, so from now on it will be this :-) About the Snape comment – Thanks I think but a little scary. See you next review.

**XiaoBai** Yes, I know. Please have pity or blame my computer for this latest fiasco.

**lotrchild**Eventually, there will be pairings. I'm glad that you enjoyed it.

**Lily Skylo:** I'm really glad that it fits because sometimes what makes sense to me makes no sense to anyone else.

**Xirleb**and **shdurrani** Okay guys, let's call a truce. Thanks to you both. Now, I have to ask. Did you review one after the other on purpose because I got a good laugh out of it.

**Chava** Remember, there is always hope, and that's not just for this story. I still say that I am not a poet. Believe me, my sister got that talent in the family, but thank you. Really, you wanted to cry? Wow. Thank you, and I'm glad that you like my characterizations.

**t.a.g** Remain hopeful. That's all I'm saying. Now that I've updated, it's your turn. Thank you for your reviews as well as a great story of your own.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: The actual fifth book has finally arrived!**

**Harry Potter and the Prophecy of the Phoenix- Chapter 11**

Harry's eyes blinked open wearily but of their own accord without being startled or forced. Though he felt rested, he felt oddly weak as if someone had siphoned the energy from his body.

It was sorely tempting to close his eyes and fall back into a light slumber, but, instead, he pushed himself into a reclining position and reached for his glasses. It was this dual motion that alerted the pair at his bedside of his change in state.

Hermione cried out his name, sobbing as she pulled him into a crushing embrace.

Taken slightly aback at the severity of her reaction, he had only had a couple of nightmares after all, albeit bad ones, he returned the gesture, rubbing soothing circles on her back in order to calm her.

"It's all right, Hermione. I'm okay."

She released him at his words, still hiccuping and sniffling a bit as she wiped away the stray tears.

"Are you really?" Ron questioned, his eyes roaming critically over his friend.

Harry looked between them, noticing that both appeared to be in need of a decent night's sleep, before asking in his hushed voice that was almost a whisper, "Was it really that bad?"

Before either could answer, Madam Pomfrey was at his bedside as well with a goblet of some smoking potion that did not smell particularly appetizing.

"It's about time you woke up, Mr. Potter. Drink all of this."

Harry looked down at the contents, unable to decide whether the potion was brown or green. It was gurgling slowly, forming bubbles in its thick viscosity and releasing the smoke as each bubble popped.

"What is this?" It was a stalling tactic. He was fairly sure that it would taste as badly as it smelled.

Madam Pomfrey sighed with mock-exasperation. "It's a Strengthening Potion. You did quite a number on yourself, young man. Now, drink up. I don't want to hear any complaints."

Closing his eyes, he swallowed the potion with one swig, managing to bypass most of his taste buds. He could feel the potion continue to bubble inside of him as it made its way to his stomach, and the smoke leaked out from his nose, causing him to sneeze.

Harry could feel a change coming over him, but it felt as if it was more than his physical strength that was being replenished.

Madam Pomfrey waved her wand over him, muttering a charm that he did not recognize.

"You're healing very nicely," she announced proudly.

"That is very good news indeed." Came the distinctive timbre of the headmaster. The smile on his face was genuine, and his eyes seemed as if they were dancing. "Now I hate to intrude, but I need to have some time alone with Harry if you don't mind."

"Just be sure that you don't overdo it," warned Madam Pomfrey sternly. He still needs plenty of rest.

"I'll keep that in mind." Dumbledore promised. As the mediwitch turned and left, he spoke in a softer decibel to Harry's friends, "Go get a decent breakfast. I'll make sure that Madam Pomfrey lets you back in and that she'll be apprised of your plans."

Both nodded, departing with words promising their return, but there was a bit of reluctance in both of them.

"What plans?" Harry queried.

Dumbledore could not suppress the small smile that turned involuntarily on his lips. "I hope that you realize what good friends you have, Harry. It's a rare to find anyone who will fight Madam Pomfrey to remain by her patient for two days and even rarer to actually find anyone with the tenacity to win."

That statement sent Harry's mind awhirl, and he did not even realize that Dumbledore had not actually answered his question. The fact that he had been in the Hospital Wing for two days clashed with the guilt over his hiding such important secrets from his friends this year while they faithfully demonstrated their allegiance.

"Sometimes I don't think I deserve them."

How the words actually took vocal form, Harry would never know. Perhaps they got crossed in the synapses relaying thoughts and vocal statements. Harry's cheeks colored slightly in embarrassment, and he studied his fingers to avoid Dumbledore's gaze.

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow, gazing critically at the young wizard in front of him. Observing that Harry was uncomfortable with exploring the comment, Dumbledore decided to bypass the statement for the time being.

"Harry, I've gotten reports from Professor Snape, Sirius, and Remus-"

"Are they all right?" Harry interrupted, not believing that he had forgotten to ask sooner.

"Relax, they're all fine." Seeing that Harry was going to need more of a qualification, he added, " I expect that Sirius and Remus will arrive at Hogwarts before New Years. They had one other short errand to run before arriving. However, it is now safe for them to send and receive communications from owls. I'm sure that you'll want to take advantage of that. Professor Snape suffered no permanent effects from the _Cruciatus_, but he is rather annoyed that he owes another Potter a life debt."

Harry started in surprise. "What? But I didn't do anything to save his life."

It was amazing, Dumbledore mused to himself, that a boy who had needed to grow up quickly could still be so naive.

"From what I have heard so far, Harry, you provided a distraction that allowed Professor Snape to retain his cover. He is convinced that had he exposed himself, it would have meant certain death instead of the _Cruciatus._"

"But Voldemort could have killed him for his failure." Harry protested.

Dumbledore smiled again, this time more grandfatherly. "That is true. However, the fact remains that he did not." He held up a hand in anticipation of more protesting. "I'm afraid that life debts depend only upon those who owe it and not upon those to whom it is owed, meaning that if Professor Snape feels as though he owes you a life debt, that life debt exists."

It quite surprised the aged wizard when a devious grin and a mischievous glint overtook Harry's countenance, especially because of his earlier reaction.

"I imagine that Sirius is quite beside himself, owing a life debt to Professor Snape. It serves him right, trying to tell me that his middle name was 'Careful.'"

Dumbledore chuckled, his eyes having a life of their own. "Did he now? If I remember correctly from Mr. Black's attendance here, I believe that his middle name was actually 'Sirius.'"

Harry blinked blankly, "His parents named him Sirius Sirius Black?"

The headmaster did his best to look serious and adopt a professorial tone. "No, Harry. Your godfather so loathed him first name that he went by his middle one. He had it legally changed as soon as he was allowed."

Sensing an opportunity for potential blackmail, Harry had to ask, "Then what was his first name?"

Dumbledore quickly looked around as if he was a teenager about to reveal a huge secret and he did not want anyone to know about it. "I will tell you only if you agree to the condition that you will not under any circumstance tell your godfather that it was I that divulged the information."

"I promise," Harry agreed eagerly,

Dumbledore waited a moment, and Harry was sure that the hesitation was meant to build suspense.

"Archimedes."

Harry could not help but burst into laughter. The name just seemed so stuffy, so _wrong_ when applied to the infamous Marauder.

It was really good to see Harry laugh, and Dumbledore regretted that he was going to have to disturb the lightened mood.

"I'm afraid, Harry that our conversation took quite a detour, and now it's time to put it back on track. As I was saying previously, I have already heard reports from the other three. Nevertheless, I would like to hear your version of the events as well."

Harry spoke of what he had seen in his dreams, and he noticed that his headmaster seemed particularly distressed at the mention of his patroni and his visibility to Snape.

When he was finished, Dumbledore asked quite seriously and almost somberly, "Harry, did Madam Pomfrey tell you what the potion was for?"

"She said it was a Strengthening Potion."

"Indeed, while that information is not incorrect, it is not complete either. When you cast the spell to produce your patroni and held it, you severely depleted your magical reserves. Under most circumstances, the reserves would return to normal after a period of rest. However, you depleted your reserves to the point that there is the possibility of permanent damage. You seem to be responding well to treatments, but you are not to engage in any sort of magical activity until the start of term. Even then, you are to go lightly until Madam Pomfrey says otherwise, and it is likely that you will see a marked decrease in your performance. Your teachers will be informed. Only time will tell if permanent damage has been done."

A look of determination rather than upset took a hold of Harry's features, and his eyes were brighter than they had ever been. "It doesn't matter. I would willingly take the risk again even if it meant permanent loss of all my magic or even my death in order to save them."

Any sign of the earlier naivete was now absent from the young man, and the intensity of his convictions left Dumbledore speechless for a moment and left him battling a sensation of deja vu as well. He could only hope that Harry would not become reckless with his own life, especially as the latter tended to shoulder guilt for circumstances that he could not control.

"Sir?" The silence was a bit unnerving."

"My apologies. I've just never seen you look so much like your mother."

The comparison left Harry warmed by a momentary flush of pleasure. He had been told so many times that he looked just like his father, with the mention of his inheritance of his mother's eyes as an afterthought. It felt good to be compared to something other than as his father's mirror image, except the eyes.

Dumbledore had now recovered enough to don his serious face once again.

"While your attitude is certainly courageous, Harry, make sure that you use careful judgement should such a situation should arise again. Don't try to be the hero needlessly. All of us have our limitations. Now, I must ask your forgiveness and ask that you indulge me in one more question. Has anyone besides Professor Snape ever seen you in a vision?"

He wanted to lie but found that he could not as he muttered in a near whisper, "Yes. Once."

It was not the answer that Dumbledore was expecting. As soon as the answer processed, a look that was almost frightening flashed upon his face. "When did this happen, who saw you, and why was I not informed?"

"My aunt after the last _Cruciatus_."

Harry had looked away again and felt a concerned hand on his shoulder.

"What did she say to you?" The question was tinged with anger but was not directed at him.

Harry remained silent, unwilling to share her dying condemnation.

Dumbledore turned Harry's face so that the younger wizard met his eyes. There was no warning for what happened as a flash of light momentarily blinded them both.

_Petunia's head lolled around on her long neck so that she was looking right at Harry and spoke in a voice so soft and cracked that Harry could barely hear it and Voldemort could not._

_"You monster.__ How can you just sit there and let him do this to us? We're your family."_

_It did not seem to matter to her that the same so-called family had treated him with nothing more than contempt towards him since the day he had been left on their doorstep._

_"I'm sorry." Harry spoke desperately._

_It was too late. His aunt had fallen victim to the killing curse._

_Harry found himself unable to do anything but sit in shock as Voldemort's laughter rang in his ears._

_Nausea burned his stomach and buzzed between his ears. There was no denying that they had lost their lives because of him, and the method of their death only seemed to reinforce the bigotry in which they had engaged throughout the course of their lives. If Harry had not been abnormal, they would still be alive._

The ground suddenly became unstable, and the house fell around him.

Dumbledore jerked away as if he had been burned. What he had just experienced was more than a simple vision or merely seeing through Harry's eyes. He had experienced everything that Harry had as though it was just happening, the helplessness, the guilt, and the pain.

He was feeling more than slightly ill but was more concerned with Harry, whose breathing was heavier and more erratic than it should have been, a reaction of reliving his memory.

"What happened?" Harry questioned breathlessly, his voice quivering just enough for it to be noticeable.

Dumbledore opened his mouth to speak but was hit by a sudden and vicious bout of vertigo. For a brief moment, his surroundings were mottled and dancing around as if to mock him.

"Professor?"

Harry reached out to steady him, thoroughly concerned. Despite the professor's wizened age, Harry had never seen him display such a physical weakness.

"Should I call for Madam Pomfrey?"

"Don't you dare," warned Dumbledore jocularly before waving his wand and muttering the same curse Madam Pomfrey had earlier. He ignored the slight sensation of dizziness as he cast the spell but was pleased to note that what had happened had not impeded Harry's recovery.

Harry fumbled for a moment, deciding whether or not to speak. "Sir, you don't look well."

Dumbledore waved a dismissing hand. "Do not concern yourself with my health, Harry. Right now I'm more concerned about what I saw."

Once again, Harry found himself lowering his gaze.

"Harry, please look at me." The headmaster waited patiently for faded emerald eyes to meet his own. "You do realize that what your aunt said to you was completely inappropriate. You are not a monster, Harry, far from it. You did your best to save them, more than most would have done considering the circumstances."

"I still couldn't save them." He hated the tears pooling in his eyes.

"That's right Harry, you _couldn't _save them. It wasn't that you _wouldn't_ save them. That's the difference between a victim and a monster. You are not responsible for their deaths. Only Voldemort can take the credit for that."

Though he wanted desperately to accept the professor's words, there was still a part of him that stubbornly held onto the fact that he was the reason that the Dursleys had been targeted in the first place.

"What happened?" Harry asked in a whisper, needing desperately to change the subject and realizing that the question had not been answered the first time.

"For a brief time, Harry, our minds connected. I relived your memory not only with you but as you."

Harry looked stricken, worried that Dumbledore's skin tone was almost that of his beard and worried about what thoughts he had been exposed to.

"It has only happened to me twice before, both with my mentor. Such a connection requires two strong wizards or witches that are willing to make the connection." A flash of irritation flashed across his face, "This should not have been possible, especially in your weakened state."

_Welcome to my world._ Harry thought with an edge of sarcasm.

"I owe you an apology, Harry. I assure you that it was not my intention to invade your memories."

Before Dumbledore could continue with the explanation, Harry interceded.

"Why should you apologize? It was just as much my fault as it was yours. You said that we both had to be willing to make the connection. It's true that I didn't know that such a connection was possible, but I've wanted to tell you for so long what happened. It's just that I couldn't put it into words. Besides, you seem to have taken the worst of it."

Dumbledore's lips twitched at the corners, "Well, perhaps the next time that you want to show me something, you could ask for the use of a pensieve. It would be a lot better on both of us." As an afterthought, he reached into his pocket and pulled out an envelope. "Oh, I almost forgot. This was sent to me with the request that I deliver it."

Harry took the envelope and immediately recognized Sirius's scrawl on the envelope's address.

"I imagine that you'd like to respond right away. After all, some very interesting information has come to light since last you talked."

Harry's face brightened considerably, and a definite glint of mischief was evident in his eyes and mien. He had forgotten for a moment about the ammunition that he had to tease his godfather.

"I will, sir. Thank you."

"Take care of yourself, Harry, and remember what I said earlier about using magic."

Dumbledore pushed himself up, and Harry was alarmed to see him swaying enough for him to put a steadying hand on the nightstand beside Harry's bed.

"Sir-?"

"I'll be fine. I'll check on you later."

Harry wanted to protest that he was not fine at all, but Dumbledore's expression was not one to argue with.

Dumbledore was very much aware that Harry was watching him closely as he walked, a little unsteadily even he had to admit, to find Madam Pomfrey. He had a promise to keep to Harry's pair of friends. He knew that this would require the ingestion of at least one foul tasting potion. He only hoped that she would not insist that he stay in the Hospital Wing. There was too much work to do, despite how he was feeling.

Once Dumbledore was out of sight, Harry tore open the envelope, his mind a bit preoccupied.

_Harry,_

_Are you okay? Dumbledore has assured me that you are, but I would rather hear it from you. Hang on a minute, Moony is pestering me for the quill, and if I don't give it to him now, I think that he's going to burst._

Don't listen to him Harry. You know how he is. I do have a question for you though. Where in the world did you learn how to do a patronus like that? I certainly never taught you that. I've never seen anything like it.

_We just wanted to wish you a Happy Christmas and to let you know that we're okay. You'll have to wait for your gift until we arrive. We should be able to see you sometime around New Years. Be careful, Harry._

You're one to talk, Padfoot.

_We'll see you soon, Harry. I'm sure Dumbledore has told you that you can write back, so we are anxiously awaiting your response._

Don't be long, Harry. Your godfather is fretting like an overprotective mother, and the pacing is getting on my nerves.

_I am not. Do hurry though._

_-Sirius **and Remus**_

The smile reappeared to Harry's face as he began to compose his own letter,

_Dear Remus and Archimedes,_

_Remus, I'll talk to you first as my godfather is no doubt ranting and raving about my discovery of his birth name. Believe me when I say that I was just as surprised about my patronus as you. I have not used the spell since the Third Task, and my patronus was completely normal then._

_Has Snuffles calmed himself enough to read the letter yet?_

_I'm fine, and I'm glad that you are okay. As for what happened, let's just say that it was a vivid dream._

_We can talk more when I see you next._

_-Harry._

Harry placed the letter aside so that Ron and Hermione could take it to the Owlery later and closed his eyes to rest for a moment until the pair returned

"Harry."

His mind recognized that it was Hermione's voice calling to him, and his eyes opened sleepily.

He was unable to suppress a yawn and then smiled sheepishly as he spoke, "I'm sorry. I only meant to rest for a moment."

He pushed himself back up and then gasped in amazement. In the middle of the ward was a large, decorated Christmas tree with piles of presents beneath it.

"We waited to have Christmas with you."

"Thank you."

The words had a choked quality as he found that there was suddenly a lump on his throat. When he had been smaller, Christmas had never been special. It was only an opportunity for the Dursleys to gloat over him, but it had been different when he had come to Hogwarts. When he had thought that he had missed it, he had been sorely disappointed.

Ron tossed a present to him, and by the feel of it, it was his annual Christmas sweater knitted by Mrs. Weasley.

"Maroon, again!" Ron exclaimed as Harry found his green one. Hermione had been included this year with a sweater violet in shade.

"Open yours from me next." Harry instructed.

Hermione squealed with delight when she opened hers, a book with the title, _Hogwarts, a Revising History._

Ron stared at it wide-eyed. "What have you done?"

Ignoring Ron, he smiled at Hermione, "This book will automatically update itself every time a new edition is released."

He was sure that he was going to choke to death when Hermione wrapped her arms tightly around him.

"I think that she liked it." Harry wheezed when she released him.

Ron, however, was staring at his present, two white pills, with confusion and a bit of disappointment.

"Those are actually for your brothers," Harry explained. "I call them Fountain Fizzies. When you put them into their drinks, every time they open their mouth to speak, water will come out instead, and when they hold their mouth closed for too long, the water spouts out of their ears. I have also arranged for the Creevey brothers to photograph the occasion. Just let them know when and where."

Ron's grin nearly split his face. After years of falling victim to the twins' practical jokes, it was finally his turn.

"I have just one request," Harry continued. "Try to make sure I'm there to watch, okay? It's my first invention, and I want to see if it works."

"No problem."

The three tore into the rest of their presents eagerly. Harry had gotten a mass of Chocolate Frogs and other such sweets from Ron and a book about Quidditch strategy from Hermione. Ron had gotten a similar book on chess strategy.

Ron's present to Hermione made her blush. It was a pendant made of a small clear crystal on a silver chain.

"It glows to warn you if you are near danger."

Ron looked equally embarrassed as he explained, wondering again exactly why he had bought it. When had had seen it, he knew that he simply had to get it for her.

Hermione slipped it on, thanking him with a hug just as she had thanked Harry, but Harry could not help but think that the nuance was perhaps a but different.

It was much later that Madam Pomfrey kicked Ron and Hermione out, letter to the Marauders in hand, but not before the House elves had surprised them by preparing and bringing up a traditional Christmas dinner for the trio. Harry was almost sure that Dumbledore had arranged it.

Madam Pomfrey and Dumbledore had decided that he should take the Dreamless Sleep Potion as long as it was safe to do so. They were afraid that his dreaming of Voldemort could potentially hinder his recovery.

Harry took the potion willingly, looking forward to a sleep without nightmares, real or imagined.

_Harry's scar was burning fiercely, and gooseflesh appeared on his arms as he heard the high-pitched laugh that was distinctly Voldemort._

_There was a couple holding each other in obvious fear, staring at the man and his serpentine features. The door had obviously been blasted down._

_"Who are you?" The man demanded._

_Harry reasoned that they had to be muggles if they did not know who the Dark Lord was._

_A wail of an infant in a different room pierced the room. The mother obviously wanted to rush to her child but knew that the danger was such that she could not._

_"This is going to be fun." Voldemort muttered, pointing his wand at each in succession, speaking the Killing curse._

_Both crumpled to the ground, faces paralyzed in an expression of fear._

_Voldemort moved to the nursery where the child was still crying, and Harry felt himself being pulled with him._

_The baby was no more than four months old and whimpered at the sight of the stranger._

_"Please no." Harry whispered, wishing he could help. Dumbledore's order notwithstanding, he would have used magic to save the baby if he could, but he had learned that he could not protect fight the Killing curse in his dreams._

_It appeared, however, that Voldemort was not that kind. "Incendia."_

_The child caught on fire, screaming fiercely as her little body burned until she was no longer able to cry and had joined her parents._

_Harry's hand was pressing against his scar as if the pressure could suppress some of the pain._

_He had thought that it was over, but Voldemort calmly walked to the next house on the street, placing a silencing charm on the house before blasting down the door._

_The pattern continued from house to house, with Voldemort murdering the parents with the Killing curse and killing the children by fire until they finished with the last house on the street._

_Harry felt numb, forced to witness death after needless, horrible death. He could barely feel the pain that was still blazing in his scar._

_The dream finally ended as Voldemort shot the Dark Mark into the sky and apparated away just as the aurors arrived._

Harry woke up and began to cry without shame.

Some time passed before a gentle hand was placed onto his shoulder, and the headmaster's soft timbre resonated gently only in Harry's hearing range.

"I would have to say that the Dreamless Sleep potion did not work."

"Sir-" Harry choked, unable to continue.

"It's all right, Harry. I saw everything. There's no need to explain though if you want to talk about it, I will be willing to listen."

"You saw? How?"

"Apparently, our connection was not completely severed earlier though it was obviously weaker. I saw with you, not as you. I tried to let you know I was there, but you couldn't see me."

He looked defeated, guilty.

Harry met Dumbledore's blue orbs. Tonight's attacks were different from before, not aimed specifically at Harry nor were they simply isolated incidents.

"It's beginning isn't it."

"Yes, Harry. I'm afraid that it is."

Indeed, the beginning of the end had arrived.

**A/N:** When I first started this story, I had planned to finish before the release of the fifth book. I had planned not to continue once it was released. However, you guys have been great. As long as you continue to read, I will continue as well. Be aware that the rest of the story is planned, and any similarities to the actual book are mere coincidence.

Now for the reviewers:

**…:** I know that I take awhile. Sorry. I'm glad that you liked it.

**howling**** wolf:** Good. I hope that you like this as well.

**stayblue** Thank you.

**Siri Kat:** Shhh… Just wait, it's about to be tricky.

**Von:** This one does not have as much action, but I hope that you liked it. I haven't described his color as a phoenix? Oh, dear. I'll rectify that hopefully next chapter, and we'll call it a compromise. As for Snape… we'll see where that goes.

**Chava: **Calculus, yuck. You should like this chapter. It's especially emotional. Calculus is evil… Remember that there is always hope.

**Skywalker26:** Yes, I'm mean to poor Harry.

**KuTiExAzNxAnGeL:** Get off your knees. I updated.

**Nerwen:** Thank you. Continue reading, and I will continue as well.

**MJ:** Don't worry. Harry will be all right, eventually.

**JaimeyKay:** Don't worry about it. I know that you don't like the pairings, but maybe that's because pairings are usually thrown at you. Maybe since I'm easing in it will be okay. Sorry, but I promise that the story will be good. Just pretend that the pairings aren't coming. I liked the Snape part as well. I'm so excited about the real book, and no, there is no recording of the Smallville season finale. Grrr…

**Sakura Le:** He will. See, he had a nice Christmas… until the dream. I'm an evil author.

**Lady Reaper of the Shadows:** I hope that you like this one as well.

**Storyweaver:** I know that it's slow. I've been hinting Ron/Hermione. This chapter was a little less subtle. I'm not going to answer the other question… yet. Wait a chapter or two.

**Butler** Thanks

**JerseyGirl03:** That question hasn't been answered. You're supposed to be confused. The power question has appeared to have been answered in this chapter. wink

**Lily Skylo:** Next chapter will mark the return of the infamous Marauders. As you can see, everyone is fine. I'm happy that you're enjoying it.

**Moonlight Snitch: **Don't spoil the surprise…

**ranger** Thank you.

**lilbaby** I'm writing as fast as I can.

**crystal**** wolf:** Big trouble coming soon. Visions for lack of a better term.

**Jake: **Glad that you liked it.

**Charma1219:** I liked these ending words as well. I'm still enjoying your story. Did I review your last chapter?

**athelas** Fawkes is not involved in the dreaming. The imagery was used purposefully. We don't know yet whether Harry can be reborn from ashes. Wait till next chapter.

**Nightshade: **Um, wow. Thank you. The review was more than adequate. It left me speechless. If ever you have constructive criticism, I'm open to it. I hope that you enjoy this chapter as well, and if you ask questions, I won't answer if it will ruin something. Thank you so much. You're on the mailing list.

**kateydidnt** I was faster. Probably not fast enough.

**Arizosa:** I'm not telling. Thanks.

**shdurrani**I can tell that you're old friends. Enjoy the chapter.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Hey everyone. It's my birthday, so I thought that I'd give you all a present and update. I hope that everyone enjoyed the fifth book. I would just like to say without spoiling it for those who have yet to read that the part that upset everyone at the end will not happen in this story. Clear as mud? Good. Enjoy the story.

**Harry Potter and theProphecy of the Phoenix – Chapter 12 **

Harry was exhausted, his body unable to handle any more after the events of the night, but the last thing that he wanted to do was fall asleep. It was quite probable that there would be no more visions of Voldemort that night, but there was always the possibility. If nothing else, his subconscious would surely not allow his to rest.

Dumbledore had left only a few moments before, requesting that Harry try to rest but conceding when Harry absolutely refused any more Dreamless Sleep potion.

Somehow, Dumbledore sharing the tragic event had made it easier to talk about with the elder wizard, who openly voiced the same feeling of helplessness as Harry had experienced.

For once, he had not felt utterly alone.

It was actually Harry that ended the conversation, stating that he was tired, and so Dumbledore had left wanting desperately to give him a peaceful rest but being unable to help him.

He had actually fallen into the state between awareness and slumber when the phoenix song sounded in his mind as a summons.

A soft groan escaped him. All he wanted was to be left alone. Pulling his blankets tighter around him, he decided to skip the meeting, just for tonight. Besides, the animagus transformation definitely counted as performing magic, and he had promised that he would not perform any magic until the beginning of the term.

The song grew louder and the pull became stronger such that Harry found he could not simply ignore it.

Stuffing a couple extra pillows beneath his blankets, a trick he had learned from snippets he had seen of some of Dudley's television programs, he crept silently out of the Hospital wing.

It was only after he had stepped outside and made sure that the coast was clear that he worried whether or not he would be able complete the transformation.

Thankfully, the transition came, though not without a bit of a struggle at the final stages, and he soared to the Phoenix Chamber.

Dumbledore nodded in a greeting as Harry took his normal perch, and Harry noticed that he looked slightly relieved. All the members were gathered, looking very sleepy and a bit disgruntled, with the exception of the two Marauders who had yet to return from whatever errand they were finishing. As the headmaster began to speak, Harry realized with a start that Dumbledore had waited for his arrival to begin the meeting.

"I deeply apologize for calling you from your beds with no prior warning and at such a wee hour for the second time this week. However, there is something that you need to know, and time is of the essence. Only a couple evenings ago, we met urgently to discuss the ramifications of the dementors once again falling as Voldemort's allies. This evening, what we have feared for so long has come to pass."

If Harry had been in human form, he would have raised his eyebrows in surprise, realizing that he had already missed a meeting. In order not to hear the call, as persistent as it had been that evening, he must have been deeply unconscious, and his missed meeting must have been the reason that Dumbledore was relieved at his presence that night.

"How bad is it, Albus?" McGonagall spoke with anxiety plain on her features.

"Quite bad, I'm afraid. He went down an entire street of muggle homes, using the killing curse on the adults and burning the children to death."

The guilt and helplessness was so raw from his headmaster that Harry almost let out the phoenix equivalent of a whimper, and he saw Fawkes even fidget a bit in discomfort before the bird descended onto the elder wizard's shoulder.

A few golden tones vibrated into the air, seeming to seep into the body itself like an internal blanket bringing both comfort and warmth.

Dumbledore stroked Fawkes's plumage tenderly, muttering a soft, "Thank you, my friend."

It was McGonagall who resumed the conversation. "At least Harry took the Dreamless Sleep potion tonight. Merlin knows that the poor boy didn't need to see that."

Sad eyes met hers as he spoke softly, "I'm afraid, Minerva, that the potion was not all too effective."

Her face paled in horror, and her lips tightened into a thin line.

"Headmaster, I swear there was nothing wrong with the potion." Snape objected vehemently, seeming affronted that the potion could be to blame for Harry's nightmare.

"I never suggested there was, Severus." Dumbledore spoke calmly. "If in fact Harry's nightmares were regular dreams, I'm sure that the potion would have worked splendidly."

Dumbledore paused to close his eyes for a moment and kneaded his forehead with his fingers, and Harry noted sharply that the apparent ache was analogous to where Harry's scar would have been on his own forehead.

Though for some reason his animagus form tended to reduce the effects of his scar, it was still evidenced as a tuft of black feathers on an otherwise scarlet body, and tonight's episode had left a residual ache in his scar that he could feel even in his phoenix form.

A brief moment of panic hit him, wondering if Dumbledore could tell that he was there, as they still seemed to be connected.

_Harry, stay calm._ Fawkes warned.

Dumbledore paused in his kneading and frowned slightly, glancing quickly around the room before dismissing the feeling.

"Albus, are you all right?"

All eyes were on him, looking a bit anxious, but McGonagall was the only one to put a voice to the concern.

"I'm fine."

"But why would the Dark Lord go and commit those murders himself? He had to know that he was setting off the magic detectors, and sending his Death Eaters in as a group would have been more efficient."

This comment came from Charlie Weasley, whose mother sent him a pointed look when he criticized the efficiency of the mass murders.

Dumbledore met his eyes and though his voice was calm, the words were spoken with such ferocity that they were almost frightening. "For one reason only. It was fun. He enjoyed every second of it. It was nothing more than a game. He wanted to see how much damage he could inflict before the aurors came to stop him. He wanted to flaunt the fact that his power is building and the Minister of Magic still refuses to admit that he's back."

Moody's magical eye looked over Dumbledore over more closely and then asked suspiciously, "Young Harry told you all of this?"

Dumbledore took in a slightly larger breath to compose himself. "No, I witnessed the events as well."

The room exploded for a minute but calmed immediately when Dumbledore called for silence.

"It is not my place to tell you how I was able to see Harry's dream, and that's not the important issue right now. Voldemort has struck a hard blow, and we're going to have to take a more active role in the resistance. This means both more active recruitment and combat. I'm afraid that this also means more risk. I was hoping that Cornelius would have seen the light by now, but we can afford the wait for him to recognize Voldemort's return no longer. You all know what you are to do now. Please be careful and report back often. We shall meet again at the normal time barring any other emergencies."

The room cleared solemnly, despite the buzz of speculation of Dumbledore's involvement in Harry's nightmare that hummed through the air.

McGonagall, however, refused to leave and instead placed the back of her hand to Albus's forehead.

"I'm fine, Minerva." He repeated tiredly.

"You have a fever, Albus, and you don't look well. You should see Madam Pomfrey."

Dumbledore chuckled. "Remind me to tell you sometime how much you have in common with our young Mr. Potter."

"You can tell me as soon as we take a quick trip to the Hospital Wing."

Harry flew away quickly as McGonagall helped the headmaster out of his chair, telling her feebly that there was work to be done. He had to beat them back to the Hospital wing, and he fervently hoped that Madam Pomfrey had not noticed his absence.

The pillows were put away, and he just made it back safely into his bed when the pair entered the Hospital wing.

"Wait here while I fetch Madam Pomfrey."

Even Albus Dumbledore was not brave enough to disobey her command when she used that tone.

McGonagall and the mediwitch returned in short order, the latter clucking disapprovingly at her newest patient as she scanned him with her wand.

"I told you to rest earlier, headmaster. See what happens when you run yourself too hard? I'll be right back."

"Minerva, will you go check on Harry please?"

From the weariness his voice, it sounded as if the fatigue or the fever was finally getting to him.

"Of course."

She approached Harry's bed, which was across the room, preparing to simply turn around and tell Dumbledore that he was fine and that he was sleeping.

Instead, she was quite surprised to hear Harry ask softly, "Is he okay?"

"He's going to be just fine. Why are you still awake, Harry?"

"Couldn't sleep." He mumbled truthfully.

He jumped a little as the back of her cool hand pressed against his own forehead.

"Poppy, we're going to need some Fever Reducing potion over here too." McGonagall called out.

Pomfrey hurried out, handed the headmaster a tray of no less than four goblets with the instructions to drink them all immediately, and rushed over to Harry's bedside.

"What in the world happened? You should be asleep."

"He had a dream, Poppy."

She whirled around angrily at Dumbledore, "What are you doing out of bed, and why was I not informed immediately about his dream."

When Dumbledore could not find an adequate response, she whirled back to face Harry, but this time she spoke mock-threateningly at Harry.

"And you, young man, have just earned yourself at least another day in this bed, so don't even ask me if you can leave tomorrow. Now drink these."

She handed him a goblet with a potion that he now recognized as being the Fever Reducing potion and drank it obligingly. The second goblet she handed him contained another dose of the Dreamless Sleep potion.

"I-I don't want this." Harry protested, trying to hand her the goblet back. "It didn't help the last time."

It was McGonagall who replied in a mothering tone, "It's all right, Harry. It's almost dawn, and I doubt that the Dark Lord will do anything more tonight. This will allow you to take a break from your own mind for a while."

Harry stared at the goblet, sorely tempted by the promise of rest in her words, and, finally, the temptation became too strong. He had only drained half of the contents when he found that his body was relaxing into sleep and that the goblet was slipping from his hands.

The goblet was taken carefully from him, and he felt himself being gently helped into a supine position with the covers being comfortably tucked in around him.

For one perfect moment, he could remember his mother tucking him in inside his crib and could hear the soft lullaby she used to hum to help him fall asleep.

Harry felt something warm and wet slide somewhat roughly across his cheek repetitively. His face scrunched up in protest instinctually as he was not prepared to be aroused from his warm and peaceful cocoon of slumber.

"Knock it off, Padfoot. It's disgusting. Besides, you really should let Harry sleep. Didn't you just hear what Madam Pomfrey told us?"

Harry wondered if for some reason the potion had malfunctioned again, and he was dreaming. No longer did he want to stubbornly hold onto slumber, but the potion still had enough potency in his body that he could not break away from it.

Sirius must have returned to his human form because Harry could hear actual words and not whimpers, whines, or other such dog noises.

"You're such a spoilsport."

"And when Madam Pomfrey comes over here to kill you for waking him up, I'm not going to even try and save you."

There was a teasing innocence in Sirius's tone, "Aww, come on, Moony. What would you do without me?"

Smiling to himself, Harry relaxed back into his slumber and allowed to voices to fall into the background.

He came to awareness slowly, noticing that the blankets were pulled a little too tightly at his feet. Flexing them experimentally, they encountered a warm mass at the end of his bed.

The mass emitted an excited yelp and jumped down from the bed.

"Harry, are you awake?"

Harry's eyes opened, and a blurry form slipped his glasses onto his face.

"Sirius?"

Apparently, it had not been a dream after all.

"I was beginning to think that you were going to sleep forever. Feeling better?"

"Yes." His eyes widened, and all vestiges of sleep fell away from him to be replaced by panic, causing him to sit up in alarm. "What are you doing in human form? Someone could see you."

"Easy, Harry. Most everyone has gone home for Christmas break, and Madam Pomfrey already knows. It's highly unlikely that anyone could see me that should not. Besides, Moony and I have taken certain precautions." There was definitely mischief in his features, and Harry could not help but hope that no one would need to come to the Hospital wing, for their own sakes.

"Indeed? I would assume that would be why Remus insisted that he lead the way up here?" Dumbledore shot a look of reproval at the aforementioned Marauder, but could not hide the twinkling of amusement that betrayed him in his eyes.

Lupin at least had the decency to look abashed, and Harry looked his headmaster over. Though he seemed much improved, he still carried the look of someone who had been recently ill

His introspection was interrupted by the appearance of Madam Pomfrey at his bedside with the all too familiar Strengthening Potion.

Harry took it wordlessly while Madam Pomfrey cast the incantation on him.

"How's he doing, Poppy?" Dumbledore's gaze skimmed over Harry critically as he spoke.

"He's healing rather nicely. If you'll excuse me." The response was curt, and she stalked off almost huffily.

Unperturbed, Dumbledore quirked a smile, "I don't believe she's quite forgiven me for leaving her care this morning."

"How do _you_ feel, sir?" Harry questioned, knowing from experiences that appearances could be deceiving.

Dumbledore raised his eyebrows, "Now, what did I say about worrying over my health? Besides, Professor McGonagall has been hovering around me all day. If I so much as sneeze, she's going to be hauling me back in here."

Lupin gasped, his eyes moving wildly between his former headmaster and former pupil. "Sweet Merlin, Albus. How did it happen?"

"Ah, I was wondering if you'd be able to see it. Can you perhaps be able to distinguish the relative strength of the connection? It should have severed immediately, but it seems to be clinging."

Still looking slightly flustered, Lupin responded, "It looks like it's about to break, but it must have been stronger earlier for the two of you to share an illness."

Sirius had been trying to be patient, to give them time to explain what they were talking about, but he found that it was impossible for him to wait any longer. Patience was not one of his strong points. "What's going on? What connection are you talking about?"

Dumbledore looked over at Harry, silently seeking permission before continuing, "Yesterday while Harry and I were having a discussion, our minds connected accidentally. We've had a gradually fading link ever since, and the results have been most interesting."

Lupin's eyes widened further. "Accidentally? Forming that kind of connection is one if the most complicated spells known to exist. How could it happen accidentally, especially with Harry suffering from magical exhaustion?"

"Those are very good questions. I wish that I could answer them for you. I myself would very much like to know the answers."

Sirius turned an anxious eye to his godson, vowing that they would have a discussion later about the correct usage of the words, "I'm fine." Right now, the only words that would wrap around his tongue were, "What do you mean by 'interesting results?'"

Dumbledore nodded his head in Harry's direction, feeling that Harry should be the one to choose what he did and did not want to divulge.

Strangely, after wanting to talk to them both for so long, Harry found himself grappling for words, struggling to describe what he had seen in his dream. He did not and would not mention the actual catalyst of the events, Petunia's dying words to him. It was not a wound that he was willing to address at the moment.

Sirius and Lupin's faces had turned pale upon hearing the details, and Sirius felt incredibly useless. He was supposed to protect Harry, but there was nothing that he could do to protect his godson from his visions, no matter how much he wanted to.

Without warning, the vaguely annoying simmering level of pain that had become normal for his scar flared into a burning and then a cutting agony.

Harry brought the heel of his hand to his forehead with a hiss of pain.

"Harry!" Sirius exclaimed at the same time Lupin called out, "Albus!" in alarm.

_No! _Harry thought, seeing Dumbledore react and not wanting to subject the elder wizard to anything more. He felt the bond snap with such force that it seemed almost audible and then slip away.

Dumbledore staggered, feeling a touch disoriented at the sudden disappearance of both the pain and the bond.

The last thing Harry saw in the Hospital wing was Lupin rushing to steady Dumbledore, and the last thing he heard was Sirius demanding to know if he was all right.

The first thing that Harry realized was that Voldemort was very angry, his red eyes blazing unmercifully.

_"Would you care to repeat that, Wormtail?" He hissed venomously._

_Wormtail fidgeted and meekly responded, "The g-giants have re-refused your of-offer to j-join with y-you, My Lord."_

_Voldemort's fingers tapped impatiently against his wand. "And why would that be, Avery?"_

_Harry saw the second form stiffen in fear, "Because they've already pledged an alliance with Albus Dumbledore."_

_Voldemort now stood, and Harry could feel the intensity of the Dark Lord's rage in the throbbing of his scar._

_"WHAT!"_

_"Apparently he sent an envoy of two half-giants to the colonies last summer." Avery was now trembling._

_"And why would the giants choose to give their alliance to that old fool?" His eyes were pinned on Wormtail, who looked as if he would rather die than answer the question._

_With a quiet whimper, the Potters' betrayer spoke, "It was because of your defeat at the hands of the Potter boy."_

_It was the wrong thing to say and perhaps the worst thing to say. The red, serpent eyes narrowed cruelly, and Wormtail was screaming under the punishment of the Cruciatus curse._

_"I was not defeated by the Potter boy. I was merely delayed for a time, and that was because of sheer luck."_

_He ended the curse, and Harry took in a shaky breath at the slight relief of some of the pressure in his scar._

_Wormtail stood, extremities still shaking with muscle spasms._

_"The two of you have failed me."_

_Both began to grovel with apologies, but the apologies soon turned to screams of pain as Voldemort once again utilized the Cruciatus._

_Upon releasing the curse, Voldemort warned, "Do not fail me again," and then left the two gasping for air as they recovered._

Harry blinked, finding that his hand was still pressed against his scar, which was now throbbing noticeably but more dully.

"Harry?"

Sirius's voice sounded nothing less than panicked, and Harry responded without looking up.

"The giants refused to join Voldemort's alliance. He was not pleased."

Sirius felt an almost-painful tightening in his chest. His question was meant to inquire about his godson's health, but Harry had quickly bypassed thoughts of his own well being in order to relay the information he believed to be more important.

Harry removed his hand from his scar to find three sets of eyes watching him worriedly, and this time it was Dumbledore who placed the back of his hand to Harry's forehead.

"Remus, will you go fetch Madam Pomfrey and ask her to bring another dose of Fever Reducing potion."

Lupin nodded and left at once.

Dumbledore looked Harry directly in the eyes and spoke softly but seriously, "While I appreciate what you did, I want you to remember the conversation we had the other day about playing the hero. You don't have to protect me, Harry. I may be old, but I'm not decrepit."

Lupin and a frazzled Madam Pomfrey returned. Checking to confirm the presence of a fever, she wordlessly handed Harry a goblet.

"Thank you." He mumbled, handing the goblet back.

Madam Pomfrey nodded in acknowledgement and then replied with the words, "Try to rest. I don't want to have to give you another dose of the Dreamless Sleep potion so soon, but if you need it, call for me."

After shooting Dumbledore a look of warning, she was gone again.

An impish smile crossed Dumbledore's face. "Well, if you will excuse me, there is some business that I need to take care of. Besides, I believe that Professor McGonagall will be quite beside herself searching for me, and I believe that the hospital wing would be the last place that she would look."

Sirius looked at Lupin with astonishment as Dumbledore made his exit.

"You sneaked Dumbledore out from under McGonagall's nose? I'm impressed, Moony, but you do realize that she will never forgive you."

Harry grinned and interrupted the bantering before it could really begin, "I don't suppose the two of you could tell me what you've been doing and how exactly you got yourselves into that mess."

Sirius shrugged apologetically. "I'm sorry, Harry."

Harry looked at Lupin, "Then could you at least tell me how you know about the connection between Professor Dumbledore and me?"

"Harry." Sirius warned, knowing that they had already addressed this issue once before and that his friend had divulged all that he was comfortable with divulging then.

Not heeding the warning as his mind suddenly clicked on an obscure paragraph that had been in one of the books he had researched in the restricted section looking for information on magical animagi Harry blurted, "Are you a tenebramenser?"

Both men paled, and Harry knew that he had guessed correctly.

"Where in the world did you learn about that?" Lupin spoke shakily.

Seeing how distraught both of them looked, Harry became suddenly less inclined to talk about the subject and muttered something a bit incoherently about research.

Sirius was looking at him sharply, "Harry, you can't tell anyone, not even Ron or Hermione."

Harry promised, still confused at how upset they were. It was simple really. Tenebramensers had some ability to detect what curses had been used on an individual but usually only if it was a strong curse, meaning mostly dark magic such as the Unforgiveables.

Lupin looked him in the eye, "Harry, how much do you know about werewolves?"

Harry looked away, feeling his cheeks darken slightly in embarrassment as he fumbled over his words, "I've… done some independent research."

Sirius looked at him in mock horror in an attempt to lighten the mood. "More research? And when was the last time you had some fun? Pulled a prank even?"

A sly smile spread across Harry's face, as he remembered the Christmas present that he had given Ron.

Lupin sighed, "Don't encourage him, Padfoot. Now, if we could return back to an intelligent conversation." Lupin ignored Sirius as he pretended to be injured by the comment, "Have you ever come across any information regarding the benefits of being a werewolf?"

"Just that their senses tend to be keener, especially as the date of the full moon gets closer."

Lupin nodded. "That's true, but what none of the books tell you is that the magical senses are also increased."

"So you're saying," Harry reasoned, "that if you weren't a werewolf, you would not be as strong as a wizard."

"Yes, though believe me I would rather suffer the loss of some of my magical abilities if it meant ridding myself of the curse. Harry, tenebramensing is considered a Dark Art, and all tenebramensers are required to register with the Ministry of Magic. If the Ministry were to find out that I'm a tenebramenser on top of being a werewolf…"

Now Harry understood. There was already so much persecution of being assumed to be a dangerous creature and a dark wizard that Lupin had to deal with because of his lycanthropy. The added so-called dark ability, strengthened by the curse of the wolf, would make living his life even more unbearable.

"It's all right, Remus. I won't tell anyone."

"Now that we have that settled, I have a couple of things to discuss with you young man. First of all, how in the world did you find out about my birth name?" The stern face that he had adopted turned into one of exasperation.

Lupin burst out laughing. "Oh, Harry. You should have seen him when he read your note. He couldn't stop ranting for a good thirty minutes."

Sirius shot Lupin a death glare.

Harry was smiling so broadly that he thought his face would split. It turned out that he had found the perfect way to keep his promise to Dumbledore.

"I got Hermione a book for Christmas, _Hogwarts: A Revising History._ One of the special features was a listing of every graduating class. Your name was listed as Archimedes with Sirius put in parenthesis."

Sirius groaned, bemoaning the fact that since he was a fugitive, he could not even write to the publisher and complain.

Lupin was still chuckling, "I believe that you had something else to tell Harry."

This time, Sirius addressed Harry with a smile and eyes gleaming with mischief. "Oh yes. There's the simple matter of your Christmas present. Of course, since you're not allowed to do magic, we'll have to wait, but we've cleared it with Dumbledore. He thought that it was a marvelous idea."

Sirius was so excited that he was literally fidgeting, and the excitement was contagious.

Harry could not help but ask, "What does he think is a good idea?"

Sirius's smile grew wider. "Moony and I are going to teach you to be an animagus."

Harry forced the smile to remain on his face, but he was certain that somewhere the gods of fate were having a hearty laugh at his expense.

**A/N:** Aren't you guys proud? Not only did I post in a timely manner, but I also tied up a loose end. Next chapter, more questions will be answered and new problems will emerge.

Also, I meant it when I said that you guys were great. Thanks for the encouragement to continue despite the release of the fifth book. Now for the individual responses:

**phoenixrising** I'm glad I'm continuing too. Thank you for continuing to read.

**skysong** Thank you. I hope that you like this chapter as well.

**Chava** How do I come up with these things? I have a warped and overactive imagination. I'm glad that I got an emotional response out of you. I liked the first name as well. Thanks for your input.

**Calen** Wow, I think that's the most emotional response that I've ever gotten. If Harry just left and died it wouldn't be much of a story would it? Let's just say that he can't for some reason.

**Insane Pineapple from Naboo:** It's not nice to read the author's mind. The Snape/Harry confrontation is planned for the next chapter. Don't worry about the lagging in between review time. I've done worse, but thanks for reviewing.

**myrhfire** Thanks :-)

**venus4280: **The next chapter will answer the question about Harry's powers. I'm glad that you like the AU because I know that for me sometimes that is hard to read. I agree with your assessments of the characterizations in the real fifth book. Thanks for reviewing.

**MJ:** How many chapters… well, I think that we're about half-way done, probably more than half-way done, and we'll be rolling steadily to the climax starting with the next chapter. I can't give you a definite because sometimes the chapters take on a life of their own. I update as soon as I finish the next chapter. The questions you asked have either been answered this chapter or will be addressed in the next one. Thank you for reading.

**leterature****-archer** I won't stop, I promise.

**fiddy**Look, less than two weeks… Impressive isn't it?

**athelas** There are? I was reading thinking that I was so far off, and if you read the author's note, the INCIDENT will not be repeated in this story. Yes, Dumbledore is a magical animagus… 10 points to your house if you can guess what his form would be. That definitely could be a factor. Thank you for continuing to read.

**JerseyGirl03:** I'm so glad that I finished the fifth book before your review because I don't think I would have had the heart to continue if I would have known. This story will keep him alive.

**Tara** Well, there's a lot of Harry, Remus, and Sirius interaction in this chapter, so I hope that you liked it. I'm quite proud of my name.

**gaul** Thank you. I will try.

**Von:** Hey, I've been meaning to tell you. Your happiness idea I was going to use a long time ago, but it's much more effective later. I am still planning to use it though. The black tuft of feathers was written for you. While the thought of a black phoenix is cool, I had meant that to be Voldie's form in one version of a chapter, and I scrapped it. However, I can't get the picture out of my head, so I gave you the tuft. I will continue exactly how I planned. Then we'll discuss whether my book six will be a sequel or a book 6 based on JKR's book 5.

**Arizosa** I update when I can, really. The link's gone… for now, but I had my reasons for having it. Many reasons in fact. The next chapter is going to be fun.

**CinnamonGold** Thank you. I'm happy that people still want to read it. I was afraid that it was going to be put to shame by JKR's version.

**Xirleb70:** I understand. I will continue to update as long as all of you continue to read.

**JaimeyKay** Thanks for the book 5 destress. I was ready to explode as well. She certainly is evil. I hope that you like this chapter.

**ranger** Thanks. I will do the best that I can.

**howling**** wolf:** Wow, thank you very much.

**Moonlight Snitch: **I hope that you liked the chapter.

**crystal**** wolf:** Actually, yes, but I'm going to stick with visions for now. I'm glad that you liked the name, and thanks.

**stayblue** I'm happy that you enjoyed it. Thank you so much for reviewing.


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: I just want you all to know that this late posting is not entirely my fault. It would figure that I would finish a chapter and then would go down.

I have some good and bad news. The good news is that I was accepted into medical school. The bad news is that I don't know if I'll get the next chapter done before I leave. Right now, I have no computer of my own and no internet hook-up because I don't know where I'm living yet. So, the next chapter may be delayed. Sorry. Hey, maybe you'll get a double posting.

Now, on with the story.

**Harry Potter: Prophecy of the Phoenix – Chapter 13**

"Look, Moony!" Sirius crowed triumphantly, "We surprised him."

"Surprise" in Harry's mind was a severe understatement. "Shocked senseless" seemed to be a more appropriate term but still not quite strong enough for what he was feeling.

Lupin winked at Harry. "It's really quite amazing that he didn't slip and give anything away. He's talked about it non-stop ever since he thought of it. It was actually a relief when he was in dog form. It gave me a couple minutes of peace."

Sirius ignored the obvious jibe and continued babbling enthusiastically.

"I was so afraid that you'd be a magical animagus like your mom, and then we wouldn't be able to do it. When Dumbledore told us that your form was a stag, I just knew that it was meant to be. So what do you think?"

Sirius was so excited that Harry could not bear to try and find a way to decline. Instead, he plastered what he hoped looked like a genuine smile on his face

"It's brilliant. Thank you both."

Lupin had his professor's face on. "Now, before we get to the actual transformation, you have to know something about the theory. I have some reading selections picked out that you must learn before transforming."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Moony the professor lives again."

"Well," Lupin defended himself, "one of us has to be responsible in an undertaking of this magnitude, and it's certainly not going to be you."

"I'm hurt. After all these years, you have absolutely no faith in me."

"I just know you too well."

Harry allowed himself to relax into their easy banter, ignoring the painful beating of his heart that was reminding him that one way or another, he was going to have to severely disappoint his godfather.

If someone would have told Harry earlier in his Hogwarts experience that some day he would travel down to the dungeons to talk to Snape voluntarily, he would told them that they were crazy. Now, that was exactly what he was doing, and a small smile curled upon his lips subconsciously as he pictured what Ron's reaction would be if he knew.

He had managed to procure his freedom from the Hospital wing only moments before with the provisions of returning every morning for a Strengthening potion as well as promising not to push himself too hard.

He found Snape in his classroom, engrossed in viciously marking up essays that had been turned in before Christmas vacation, and his face was scrunched as if he had just eaten something sour.

Harry felt the brief flutter of the proverbial butterflies in his stomach as he approached the desk silently.

"Professor?" Harry called, wincing internally at the insecurity in his voice.

Snape's head snapped up, and his eyes narrowed, "What are you doing here, Potter? Come to gloat that I owe you not one but two life debts now?"

Harry opened his mouth to protest that those were not his intentions at all, but, instead, he heard himself voice a source of confusion that his mind could not reconcile in Snape's comment.

"Two?"

Snape's tone was laced with disgust. "Surely even you could not have forgotten the incident involving the Infidelis Mortis potion from earlier in the year."

Harry eyes widened almost-imperceptibly. He _had_ in fact forgotten completely about the incident. So much had happened since that fateful vision in his Divination class that it seemed as if it occurred a lifetime ago.

His mind awhirl with this bit of information that he had not prepared himself for, he blurted out his response. "I don't want you to feel like you owe me anything."

Harry was not sure what reaction he was expecting from Snape, but he did not expect Snape's eyes to narrow and his face to harden more than they had been previously.

Later, even Snape would admit to himself, but only to himself, that he most likely overreacted to the comment. He hated being indebted to anyone, and the fact that the person to whom he was indebted was Harry Potter only made the situation worse. Despite himself, his opinions concerning the boy were in a state of flux. He was not sure how to view him anymore. The impending outburst stemmed from that confusion.

He rose from his seat from behind the desk and closed the distance between them, responding with irritation and anger. Thus allowing his emotions to take precedence over his rational thought processes, he fell back upon the unfounded conclusions that he had drawn rashly upon first seeing the child his first year and had not questioned until recently.

"So, the great Harry Potter thinks that my life is beneath him, that his fame has somehow elevated him above everyone else. You are as arrogant and as pig-headed as your father ever was.

The words were spit out acridly, and Snape actually regretted saying them as soon as it was too late to take them back.

Something moved through the air, a sensation Snape would have equated with muggle electricity

A sudden cacophony echoed throughout the dungeons as desks and cauldrons toppled over as a result of what seemed to be a sudden gale that invaded the dungeons, leaving the room in shambles.

Snape could not entirely suppress his startled expression as he turned his gaze away from the destruction to the pair of emerald orbs blazing in fury,

Harry's voice was frighteningly calm without a hint of anger as if he was beyond that furious.

"I am not my father. In case you've forgotten, I never got the chance to know him or my mother. All I know is that they loved me enough to sacrifice themselves to save me. As for my so-called fame, I will be the first to admit that I did _nothing_ to deserve it, and that is why you shouldn't owe me anything, because I have done nothing. If you want to call that arrogance, go right ahead, but insult me for who I really am. Don't be so petty and so cowardly as to use my parents as a weapon against me."

Without waiting for a response, Harry spun around with the intention of storming from the dungeons, but his equilibrium was disrupted with a bout of dizziness, resulting from his unintentional magical outburst.

As he fell, some irrational part of his mind bemoaned the fact that he would probably be spending the rest of his vacation back in the hospital wing.

He felt someone catch him and ease him down, but even as he registered what was happening with his body, his mind rebelled against it as Snape was the only other person in the room.

Black spots began to play with his vision, and it was only his determination not to faint in front of his professor that kept him conscious.

A goblet was thrust in front of him, and Harry accepted it with a slight tremble of his hand.

After so much exposure to it in the hospital wing, Harry's senses immediately identified the contents as being the Strengthening potion, easing his fleeting concern that it was some sort of poison.

He drank the potion gratefully, finding that the dancing black spots had disappeared and that his dizziness was abated.

Snape took the goblet from Harry. Although Harry had the urge to thank him, he could not forget his anger, so the words stuck in his throat.

Most of his remaining anger was usurped by surprise as Snape offered him a hand. For a moment, he considered ignoring it and pushing himself up on his own, but some inner part of himself that had retained its maturity during the outburst realized how much effort the gesture had cost his surly Potions master.

He took the proffered hand and allowed Snape to help him up. His surroundings blurred briefly but soon righted themselves, and Harry was well aware of Snape eyeing him critically.

The silence was more awkward than the verbal confrontation that they had shared, and it was Harry that broke it first.

"I'll leave now. Thank you." The last two words he managed to forcibly squeeze out though the timbre of his words indicated that fact.

As he reached the door, he heard Snape call out, "One of these days, that Gryffindor attitude of yours is going to get you killed, Potter."

Harry turned to face him, speaking the words "Yes, I know," before leaving Snape to ponder what exactly had just happened.

The first day of term rolled around with a surprising quickness, and Harry found himself breakfasting with his fellow classmates in the Great Hall. The Strengthening potion that Snape had given him in the dungeons had been enough to forgo the need for Harry to spend the remainder of his vacation in the Hospital wing. In fact, he had been told that his magical levels were as replenished as they would ever be just that morning. Today, therefore, would be the moment of truth though Madam Pomfrey still insisted that it would be necessary to take it easy on his magical activities for the next few days.

As he was spooning food onto his plate, he felt a soft nudge in the ribs.

He turned his head to look at Ron, who nodded his head discreetly in the direction of Colin Creevey, whose fingers were twitching excitedly over his camera.

"Well, you certainly didn't waste any time." Harry teased his friend softly.

"Are you kidding? I've been waiting for this moment for years. Besides, I thought that it would be good to start the term off with a bang."

Hermione shot them both disapproving glances but chose to remain silent.

The Weasley twins, completely unaware that anything was amiss, were speaking to one another energetically complete with accompanying hand motions as they bounced ideas off of each other for future pranks. Taking a quick break from the lively conversation, both reached for and drank from their glasses.

George turned back to his twin, his eyes gleaming with the enthusiasm of planning something new, and opened his mouth to speak.

A jet of water shot from his mouth and hit his twin squarely in the face.

Colin Creevey's camera flashed as Fred sputtered at the unexpected occurrence and George clamped his mouth shut, his eyes nearly bugging out of his head.

With the flash, the decibel level of the Great Hall diminished as students and teachers alike began to sense something amiss.

Water still dripping from his hair and running in tiny rivulets down his face and neck, Fred opened his mouth to berate his twin, only to find that this action resulted in the latter also being hit in the face with a stream of water.

Colin's camera flashed again.

By now the Great Hall had grown silent with all attention turned towards the dripping twins, and many of the observers were wearing vindicated smirks. Finally, the tables had been turned on the master pranksters of Hogwarts.

It happened to George first and then Fred shortly after. Water shot out of their ears and magically arched upwards so that it fell directly on the twins' heads.

Laughter echoed throughout the Great Hall, especially as the twins shot each other accusing glares.

Ron was holding his side and tears were streaming down his face because he was laughing so hard, and despite the earlier display of disapproval, Hermione had dropped her prefect persona to join in the humor of the situation.

When the water finally stopped pouring out of their ears, the twins were drenched. Each muttered a drying spell, and to their chagrin, the charm did not work.

The two rose with as much dignity as they could muster, leaving a trail of water from their dripping robes as they exited the Great Hall.

"That was the best Christmas present ever!" Ron managed to gasp in Harry's hearing range.

Harry sneaked a glance over at the staff table only to have Dumbledore catch his eye and give him a knowing wink. Harry quickly looked away but could not quite contain a smile of pleasure.

His first prank had been a wild success.

Potions had the great potential for being quite awkward, but Snape went through the period ignoring Harry, which, in Harry's opinion, was quite improved from Snape's normal treatment.

However, Neville had managed to lose Gryffindor another thirty points as he melted yet another cauldron.

As he entered Transfiguration, McGonagall motioned for him to come to the front of the classroom. He approached with a bit of unease, certain that she had discovered that he was the mastermind behind that morning's prank.

"Potter," she spoke softly, "I'm afraid that you will only get one shot at today's assignment, Madam Pomfrey's orders. I'm sure that you understand that the necessity to heal completely takes complete precedence over any lesson. However, I will not penalize you for failure to complete the assignment today."

Harry simply nodded and made his way to his seat.

"What's wrong?" Hermione whispered.

"Nothing." He whispered back, not feeling up to explaining why he was bothered by McGonagall's statement and knowing that she would understand once the practical aspect of the class began.

Harry found himself unable to pay attention to McGonagall's opening lecture beyond the fact that they were transfiguring toadstools into toads and that the spell was "_Bufo_."

Harry raised his wand, and for the first time felt the dread of unease move through him first as a sheet of ice and then as a wave of fire. Sure he had been able to transform into his animagus form and had displayed wandless magic in the dungeons, but this was the first time with his wand that he would be using magic since he had fully recovered from draining his reserves.

Hermione squeezed him on the arm and gave him a supportive smile.

Forcing his doubts to the side for a moment, he brought his mind to the task at hand. He had one shot to complete the assignment, so he should not waste it while his mind was occupied on other things.

"_Bufo_" Harry commanded as if he had no doubts and physically gasped as his spell spread like a rolling fog over the classroom, and all of the toadstools in various stages of transfiguration changed into perfect toads.

The silence of the room was interrupted by the clatter of Harry's wand hitting the desk as he dropped it in shock.

McGonagall quickly overcame her own shock and summoned all of the toads to the front of the room and reversed the spell. She redistributed them though Harry was aware through the haze that had clouded his mind that his had not been returned.

With orders to Hermione to mind the classroom, McGonagall scooped up Harry's wand.

"Mr. Potter, if you'd come with me please."

He stood, feeling numb and grateful for the fact that his legs seemed about to move without any conscious thought.

"All right, Potter. Let's get you back up to the hospital wing."

"No." Harry marveled how his voice was able to work on its own as well. "I need to see the headmaster."

McGonagall looked him up and down. She did not respond, but soon they were in front of the stone gargoyle.

"Acid pops."

McGonagall actually started forward before she noticed that the gargoyle had not moved. Frowning she repeated what she had known to be the password earlier that morning and then began to list every candy that she could think of. With each name, she was becoming more and more exasperated, and the stone gargoyle seemed quite amused.

_It can't be._ Harry thought to himself. Still, he voiced aloud, "Fountain fizzies."

The gargoyle moved aside, and McGonagall shot him an appraising look with one eyebrow raised.

As they made their way to the top of the staircase, McGonagall found her voice, "Fountain fizzies?"

Harry could not meet her eyes, so he did not see the small smile that betrayed her.

"That will be ten points to Gryffindor."

Her expression was back in place as he raised his gaze again, stunned. His brain was still hazy, and he was having a lot of trouble comprehending the fact that McGonagall had actually rewarded him for pulling a prank.

Harry followed McGonagall into Dumbledore's office, still feeling numb and overwhelmed. He had prepared himself for a possible reduction in magical abilities as per Dumbledore and Madam Pomfrey's earlier warnings, but he had been ill prepared for the opposite situation.

There was a definite element of teasing in the headmaster's voice as he greeted them, "If my memory does not fail me, the two of you should be in class."

"I'm afraid, headmaster, Potter does not understand that the words 'take it easy' do not include transfiguring every object in the classroom."

If Harry was not mistaken, he could sense an element of tease to McGonagall's voice as well, despite the seriousness of her words.

Dumbledore blinked in surprise, "Indeed? Well that certainly is unexpected but not altogether unpleasant news."

"I wanted to take him straight to the hospital wing, but he insisted upon coming here."

"He's just following a set of instructions that I gave him in the beginning of the year." Dumbledore assuaged his deputy headmistress though he too was worried. "I'll take care of him. I'm sure that you want to make sure that your classroom is in one piece."

She nodded sharply, eyes demanding to be told what happened later on. Before leaving, she placed Harry's wand on Dumbledore's desk, and his eyes flashed with obvious concern that Harry had allowed himself to be parted from his wand.

"Sit down, Harry." Dumbledore invited.

Harry collapsed into a chair as Dumbledore scanned him with the charm that had become all too familiar.

Dumbledore's smile communicated that everything was still as it should be. "You seem to have an aversion to doing what's expected of you."

"Sir, what happened?"

Things were beginning to seem more real though his senses still did not seem to be functioning correctly.

"I believe that you nearly gave Professor McGonagall a stroke." His blue eyes were twinkling merrily.

When Harry did not crack a smile at his attempt to lighten the mood, he became more serious.

"It would be my guess that the secret to unlocking the potential that you worked so hard to conceal was to place people that you care about in a situation that required you to force whatever magic that you had to the surface in order to save them."

The words that his mother had spoken about the walls that he had built up flashed through his mind as Dumbledore continued.

"I've been watching you closely, Harry, since that unfortunate occurrence with Mr. Malfoy. Until now, your self-inflicted barriers were dropping slowly, and your magic was increasing at such a rate that you were able to maintain control. I believe that in your desperation to save Sirius and Remus, you were forced to realize your potential prematurely. So, I'd like to make you an offer." Dumbledore's eyes began to dance at a faster tempo. "I can't very well send you back to your lessons without your control being in peak condition, so what would you say to some private instruction?"

"With you?" Harry blurted in surprise.

"I assure you that I was an adequate professor in my day before I took up the position as headmaster. I may be a little out of practice, but I do believe that I can still teach you something."

There was a faint trace of impishness to him as Harry responded with the question, "When do we start?"

"Tomorrow during your Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson. I do believe that I'll be able to rearrange my schedule accordingly."

Harry looked bewildered, "But sir, shouldn't I go to class?"

"Because of Voldemort's renewed alliance with the dementors, Professor Fletcher will be teaching the patronus spell to all of his classes. I would say that you've quite mastered that spell, wouldn't you?"

Harry felt a hint of color rise to his cheeks.

"Good, I'll see you tomorrow." Dumbledore continued, taking Harry's embarrassment as an affirmation, as he picked up Harry's wand from his desk and handed it to him.

Harry stood to leave but stopped as he remembered something. "Sir, how did you know about the Fountain fizzies? No one but Ron and Hermione knew what they were called."

"I didn't."

"But… but the password."

Dumbledore's face seemed to lose quite a few decades of age as a youthful mischief took over.

"Though I did not know the name of the prank, I did know that you were behind it. It's a gift that you develop when you've been in charge a school for as long as I have. Knowing the frequency at which you tend to visit my office, I programmed the gargoyle to open when you were present only when you offered it a term that it did not recognize. After all my years here, it was a pretty safe bet that you would not be able to name another sweet that the gargoyle had not heard of without giving away the name of your invention, though I did not anticipate you being accompanied by Professor McGonagall."

Harry smiled as he remembered McGonagall naming every sweet in the book. His departure was once again delayed as Dumbledore called out to him once again.

"I believe that you have Divination later this afternoon."

"Yes, sir."

"I'd appreciate it if you did us both a favor and just pretended to see a grim or some other unpleasantness to appease Professor Trelawney just for this afternoon."

Harry did not have the heart to tell him that normally that's what he did in class anyway.

Harry could not remember being so frustrated, even in Potions. Dumbledore had insisted upon taking his wand despite Harry's objections. Apparently, once he had control over his wandless magic, control with his wand would be easy.

Dumbledore had taken a lemon drop from his desk drawer and had placed it on the edge of his desk. All Harry had to do was levitate it.

It sounded easy enough. After all, _Wingardium__ leviosa_ was the first charm that he had ever learned.

Forty-five minutes later, the lemon drop had not even twitched, which was only a part of the source of his frustration.

The other part stemmed from the fact that Dumbledore had given him no instructions other than that of, "Levitate the lemon drop," and had simply watched Harry's efforts with an amused and pleased smile.

It took only five more minutes for Harry's frustration to mount so high that it spilled over. He turned to say something to Dumbledore, but Dumbledore spoke first.

"Very good, Harry, but I believe the assignment was to levitate the lemon drop."

Harry moved his gaze back to find that the desk was floating in mid-air though he was quite unsure as to how exactly that happened.

There was certain triumph in Dumbledore's countenance as he spoke again, "If you wouldn't mind, I'd appreciate you lowering my desk. It would be quite inconvenient for me to have to fill out all of my paperwork with my desk in its current position."

The desk lowered to the ground just a little too quickly with a definite thud, jarring all of the objects on it.

"I'm sorry, sir." Harry apologized, still wincing from the thud of the desk.

"No harm done." Dumbledore dismissed, motioning for him to take a seat, and as he did so Dumbledore slid open his drawer. "Would you care for a lemon drop, Harry?"

"No, thank you, sir." Harry struggled to remain polite. Right now, he would not care if he never saw another lemon drop again.

Dumbledore smiled widely. "Your show of restraint was quite remarkable. I actually expected you to give into frustration quite some time ago."

"You wanted me to get frustrated?" Harry questioned in disbelief.

"Yes."

"But why?"

Dumbledore smiled again, "As far as I can tell, every experience that you have had with wandless magic has been tied to a strong emotional response, usually anger. Why do you think that is?"

"Because I lost control." Harry admitted quietly.

"No, Harry. I don't believe that you ever lost control. You meant to blow up your Aunt Marge, you meant to stop Mr. Malfoy from talking, and if you had really lost control down in the dungeons, you would have done something to Professor Snape himself and not simply have destroyed the classroom."

Harry studied his hands guiltily.

"No, Harry I believe that it's a little more complicated than that. For you, control of your magical abilities became important early in your life, as your relatives were not accepting of your abilities. You had the ability to perform simple wandless spells as a baby, but you had to control that ability to the point that you had to suppress it. The only time that your ability showed itself was when you relaxed your defenses. That relaxation seems to be triggered by your emotions. I needed you to feel it, to understand how to allow yourself to use that ability and to understand that trying to force such ability would prove to be quite fruitless."

"But it didn't really work." Harry protested. "I levitated the wrong thing."

"Ah, again I believe that you are mistaken. You did in fact levitate the lemon drop as it was on the desk. You just levitated more than you had intended. That's simply a matter of focus."

Harry blinked, thinking. "And that's what happened yesterday in Transfiguration. I performed the right spell on the right thing, but I just did more than I intended."

Dumbledore was practically beaming. "That is absolutely correct. I apologize for misleading you by calling what happened yesterday as a lack of control. If you had in fact lost control, it would not have been simply the toadstools that would have been transformed. I should have called it a lack of focus."

Harry's gaze dropped to the seemingly harmless lemon drop. "Should we try it again, then?"

"I believe that we have accomplished enough for the first lesson. Besides, anything more we do today would probably end up being another lesson in frustration. You're going to have to practice finding that state of mental relaxation without the emotional buildup. We will meet again during your next Defense class. We'll discuss regular meeting times after the class is done with the patronus lesson."

Harry could sense a "but" coming.

"However, I am going to have to ask that you do not participate in your classes that require spells until we make more practice on your focus, and that you do not use your wand unless it is necessary."

Harry wanted to protest. How could he learn if he could not participate?

"I'm sorry, Harry. I'm going to have to insist. I do not believe that you'll have to live by this arrangement for long, especially if you practice as I have suggested. A lack of focus could still be dangerous to other students and you."

"Yes, sir." Harry muttered, resigned.

"I do have some good news to deliver. Sirius and Remus will be waiting for you in their quarters after dinner this evening to begin your animagus training."

Harry could not hide his look of disbelief and sent a mental curse to the universe to inform it of its unfairness. "But sir, why-"

"Actually, it was quite fortunate that they made the offer. It takes a great deal of focus to change into another form, and their lessons will coincide very well with ours." His smile grew, "Besides, I don't think that I could take another minute of your godfather nagging me on when you could begin lessons."

Harry forced another smile onto his face. "Thank you."

Harry had made the grave mistake of asking Ron and Hermione the forms of their patroni when he met them in the hallway on their way to Charms.

Hermione simply made a disgruntled sound in her throat and had stalked away in an angry huff.

Harry shot Ron a helpless look.

"She's upset." Ron explained. "The only one in our class that even got a tiny wisp of smoke was Dean. She's not used to having something that she can't do, and it doesn't help that you learned the spell in your third year."

"Oh," was all Harry could reply dumbly.

In fact, Hermione's lack of progress really bothered her, and that bother continued to fester throughout the day. She stayed only long enough at dinner to rush through her plate before leaving to practice. As much as he hated to admit it, Harry noticed that it was almost a relief when she left because the level of tension dropped considerably.

The tension soon began to mount again the nearer it became to the time of his animagus lessons, this time of his own doing. By the time he entered Sirius and Lupin's guest quarters, he was full of nervous energy, stemming both from what he had to get out of and the inevitable disappointment that the lesson's failure would bring.

He had come up with his plan during one of Lupin's reading assignments. It was simple really. All he had to do was focus on becoming a stag. Since that really wasn't his form, nothing would happen. After the failures continued throughout the lessons, they would eventually be forced to give up.

It was perhaps too simple.

Sirius was more alive than Harry had ever seen him. He actually seemed younger as if his excitement had erased some of the age that Azkaban had inflicted upon him, and Lupin simply looked amused.

Sirius's grin broadened when he saw his godson enter the room.

"Hi Harry! Are you excited? Nervous?"

"Yes." Harry replied, answering truthfully to at least one of the questions.

"Before we get to the actual transformation, we have to make sure that you understand some key points, and don't make that face, Padfoot. You know that it's necessary." Lupin shot his coconspirator an exasperated look before continuing. "All right. What are the two most important things about an animagus transformation?"

"Focus and not panicking." Harry answered easily.

"Very good. Why?"

"Without focus the transformation can not be completed, and if you panic, you run the risk of allowing the animal instincts to take over and forgetting that you're human."

"And how do you focus?"

"On the whole animal, not in parts." At this point, Harry was convinced that he sounded very much like a textbook during his recitation. He wondered what they would think if they knew that he had transformed originally without knowing anything about the process.

"So, Moony, does he pass? Can we get to the good part now?"

"All right, Sirius. Go ahead."

Sirius looked as though he had just been given permission to play with a new toy.

"Good. Now Harry, it's important that you don't try to force anything. Just relax. We're not expecting much to happen tonight, so don't feel pressured."

"Okay."

"Now here comes the fun part. Close your eyes and focus on the stag."

Harry did as he was told, not holding anything back. He had to put in a genuine effort in order for his lack of progress eventually to be accepted.

The familiar process of changing came over him, but this time it felt markedly different. He had enough time to notice that he was standing on four black haired hooves before a sense of an incredible wrongness came over him.

It actually hurt, but the pain was far from the worst of it. The other sensations he could not find accurate words to describe, and he could not bear to stay in that form any longer.

Quickly he returned to his human form.

"Harry, that was amazing. I-"

Sirius's smile fled, and he rushed to his godson as Harry fell, gasping for air with tears stinging in his eyes.

"Harry-"

"Don't touch me, Sirius, please."

Harry was now shaking, as the urgency to transform into his real animagus form was making itself known.

"What can we do, Harry?" Lupin questioned, trying to sound calm.

Harry no longer had control of his words. He was using every ounce of will that he had not to transform though he was aware on some level that his name was still being called in alarm. Somehow he had to get out of there.

Suddenly, he found that the concerned voices of the two Marauders were gone.

The sense of wrongness was fading, and Harry eased his eyes open to find that he was in the Phoenix Chamber and was no longer in human form.

He had just enough time to wonder frantically how he had gotten there and in what form he had left the Marauders' guest quarters before the vision that had flitted through his mind twice before took him, and this time, what he saw would not be denied.

**A/N:** All right, I know that I promised you answers in this chapter, but it just didn't fit correctly. You'll have them in the beginning of the next chapter. Now for your individual comments:

**MJ:** How in the world did you manage to leave a review in the midst of the blackout. Now breathe a sigh of relief. There was not permanent damage. The answers to the questions involving the phoenixes' magical powers are already written (You are right on by the way). Dumbledore's form will also be revealed subtly in the next chapter.

**Chava** Thank you, that is quite a compliment. Lupin's ability will make a reappearance though it won't be an every chapter type of thing. Enjoy this chapter.

**Fire panther:** Thanks so much. I'm very happy that you're enjoying it.

**snuffles**I'm glad that you like it.

**Crystal** Thanks. I updated as soon as I could.

**Rachel A. Prongs:** With as fickle as it is, perhaps running is a good option after all.

**Insane Pineapple from Naboo:** Well, Snape didn't have a breakdown, but there was a confrontation. I almost took it out because it seemed to be stretching the characterizations, but I liked it too much to do it and an outside source told me that it was fine. I like talking to people through reviews too.

**urain**How did Harry stop Dumbledore from having the vision… Well, you see as Lupin said, the connection was near the breaking point anyway. Harry severed it. He's not even quite sure how. All he knows is that he wanted to save Dumbledore some pain.

**Immortal TigerWolf:** I hope that you like what Harry did with his gift. I will finish this story. Don't worry.

**Zahri**** Seb Melitor:** Well, he tried to fake lack of ability, and he didn't exactly gain a second form. Yes, Dumbledore would be quite suspicious if Harry made no progress. That's one of the reasons why I did what I did. There will be more bonding, but not so sweet and sappy as to make you gag. Just wait until the next chapter when the nightmare of Harry's life becomes much worse.

**Mella**** deRanged: **No, revealing himself would not be good, and with the sensations he felt, Harry will never become a stag again.

**Shades179:** Simply, yes, but the answer isn't quite that simple. It will be explained next chapter.

**ravenclawwannabe**You're probably not wrong, but you'll find out soon enough. You've been added to the mailing list.

**Thundering Lights:** Hopefully this time your electricity will not be as fickle. I hope that you liked the animagus scene and the rest of the chapter.

**skysong** Thanks.

**Lily Skylo:** I'm glad to have them back as well. The problem with the animagus thing is sort of solved.

**tyger****-lily**** pendragon:** Yes, poor Harry. Fate is about to take more of a hand than he realized.

**myrhfire** I love the faces :

**Calen** I guess that it was funny. In the next chapter, the explanation for his silence will be known. Besides, if he told them, my ending would be shot, and we don't want that now, do we? There will be shock later if I write a sequel. Dumbledore's form is not quite that imaginative, and you'll know next chapter.

**phoenixrising** Thank you. I'm glad that you liked the excuse.

**baasheep** You're back! Welcome. I would like to say right now that I am a bit disappointed that you chose not to continue your story, but I understand. I grappled with the same decision myself. Forgiveness is not necessary. Thank you. That is the best compliment anyone could give. I agree that the Dumbledore/Harry relationship was lacking in the real book 5, and the Marauders are fun to write. The ability of Lupin's will resurface, and what is it with everyone and black animals? All right, he's a black stag the color didn't matter, so I did it because of your request. Also, Harry didn't miss much at the meeting he did not make. It was a meeting relaying what happened at Azkaban. Now remember, you promised to review this chapter.

**charlie****-potter** Thank you very much.

**athelas** Shhhh… You'll know for sure next chapter (it's not a bumblebee). Dumbledore does not know. Remember, the form Harry showed McGonagall was a stag, and Harry has never told him. Yes, the transformation should have drained him. His phoenix form is part of the reason, and remember that he was also bonded to Dumbledore at the time (hint). I don't know when you had to go, but I hope that you get to read this chapter. Oh, the burning day thing was very clever, but the reason for the fever is simply the effects of the vision when his magical reserves were so low. It's hard to explain. If you want a detailed description, I could send you an e-mail.

**dinkum** I decided to continue because I already gave up on one story, and I wrote the beginning of this story simply because I liked the ending that I wrote first so much. It would be a shame not to get there.

**t.a.g** Well, hopefully you will like the Snape interactions in this chapter. Next chapter will be the crux in my opinion.

**Sakura Le:** It's amazing to me how many people thought that the ending was funny. That poor kid.

**JaimeyKay** No problem. Yes, evil woman. How could she do it? I also agree that he should have other things to do. Maybe his ego is that big. Sigh.

**ranger** Thank you so much. I tried.

**JerseyGirl03:** Lol. I'm glad that you approve.

**twinlakesgrl** No, he can't find out. Sorry. Explanation will come soon.

**Xirleb70:** Did he tell you not to read it? I guess that you win by the way because he did not review this chapter. Thanks for the cheer.

**Tara** You were very close. I hope that you liked what I actually did.

**kateydidnt** I happy that you liked it. This chapter would have been up days ago but…

**Arizosa** Harry will be introduced to the Order in the sequel if I write a sequel to this story. It will be quite a shocker in the scene that is in my head, but it will depend if you guys want a sequel to my story or JKR's fifth book.

**Von:** Hehe.,. I twisted the power thing on you guys. I made Harry a black stag for both you and baasheep. I guess the ending was sort of funny. Poor Harry.

**howling**** wolf:** All right. Ten (like the number)-eh-bra(Like the undergarment)-men-sir. The word comes from the Latin words tenebrae (dark) and mens (sense or mind). Does that help?

**stayblue**Thanks. I plan to continue.


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: Hey everyone. I worked very hard and got the next chapter finished before I left for medical school. I hope that you like it. It may not be the best, but it is certainly the most important chapter yet.

**Harry Potter: Prophecy of the Phoenix – Chapter 14**

James Potter guided his wife into the Phoenix Chamber with his hand on the small of her back. She had been ill lately, and he had tried to convince her that she should remain home that evening. Even with the promise that he would fill her in with the details of the meeting as soon as he returned home, she had stubbornly refused.

_James yelped and pulled back his hand as his wife was suddenly surrounded by an aura of flame._

_Both the chamber and Fawkes trilled notes of excitement, but James was absolutely frantic._

_"Lily!"_

_"I'm all right, James. It doesn't hurt."_

_In fact, it was almost soothing, and she felt a stirring in her womb, a feeling that her doctor had told her that she would not feel for several weeks yet._

_Despite her assurances that it was not painful, James could not shake the panic stemming from the fact that his wife was surrounded by flames._

_He felt a reassuring hand in his shoulder and heard Dumbledore's soft tones, "Relax, she's in no danger."_

_Sure enough, the flames ebbed, and James immediately pulled her into a protective embrace._

_Lily seemed amused. "I told you that I was all right."_

_Dumbledore was smiling widely as James released his wife._

_"My sincere congratulations to the both of you."_

_"On what?"__ James queried, feeling quite lost._

_Instead of responding to James's question, Dumbledore focused on Lily._

_"My apologies.__ I did not realize that you had not told him yet."_

_"Told me what – oh."__ James interrupted his own frustration with sudden understanding as his mind put together her symptoms and the congratulatory remark. His eyes became saucers as he looked at Lily in disbelief. "No."_

_Lily smiled back sweetly, "Yes, Daddy."_

_"But how did this happen?"_

_Dumbledore's lips twitched in amusement, "Perhaps your wife could educate you in the matters human procreation after the meeting."_

_Lily had to drag James over to the table where he slumped into his chair as if he had just been assaulted._

_Sirius whispered to both of them, "Are you two okay? What happened over there?"_

_The remaining two Marauders looked equally as inquisitive._

_It was Lily who spoke, as James could not trust his voice yet._

_"James just got a little bit of surprise. Don't worry. We're both fine."_

_The actual meeting itself blurred in Harry's mind's eye much like a muggle VCR fast-forwarding through a superfluous scene on a videocassette.__ It cleared again as Dumbledore asked James and Lily to remain._

_"I'm sure that both of you are wondering exactly what happened here tonight. While I cannot provide you with a definite answer, I can offer you a speculation. Many years ago I happened across a prophecy involving a phoenix and a serpent. I knew even then that the serpent was a reference to Voldemort."_

_"And you think that our baby is the phoenix." Lily spoke without question in her voice._

_"Yes, I do."_

_"What did the prophecy say, Albus?" James asked, looking uneasy._

_"I ask that for your own safety and that of your child's that you do not repeat what I am about to tell you to anyone. This includes Sirius, Remus, and Peter."_

_They both nodded, and Lily placed a protective hand against her still flat abdomen._

_Dumbledore summoned a scroll, explaining that he had made himself a translation from the original, but he had no doubts about the accuracy of the translation._

_He read aloud only what Harry himself had read, and Harry wondered whether Dumbledore had chosen not to recite the entire prophecy to his parents of if Dumbledore really did not know about the missing page._

_Lily burst into tears, and James put his arm around her._

_"Oh, James.__ How can we bring a baby into this world knowing that his purpose is to die?"_

_"Are you sure, Albus?" James questioned._

_"I have suspected for some time that the first two lines referred to your unique heritage and Lily's name although the stag reference never has made sense to me. With what happened tonight, I am almost certain though only time will tell." He then turned his kind cerulean eyes to the distraught mother, "Lily, while it is true that the ending of the prophecy is most unsettling, it does not give an age for your child for when it comes to pass. It very well could be my age. Until then, you love him, encourage him, and discipline him like any other child, and you tell him of the prophecy only when you think that he is ready or that it is necessary."_

_Fawkes landed on Lily's lap, and Lily's tears subsided as comforting warmth began to spread through her. The phoenix then laid its head against her abdomen, and she felt the same stirring sensation within her._

_The vision faded as a loving smile came upon her face._

A single pearly tear trailed down Harry's feathery cheek.

It was strange that he could feel the ache of loss and the soothing of fulfillment at the same time.

Finally he had a vivid memory of his parents other than that of their deaths, and yet that memory only served to make them more real to him, to emphasize what had been cruelly ripped away from him.

The tear clung stubbornly to the edge of his cheek before losing its fight to gravity. It was the small plume of smoke that drew Harry's attention to the table.

A note of surprise left his throat and echoed vibrantly throughout the chamber.

Even though the table was magical, it was also very old, indicated by the fading color and the various scratches and scuffs that it had earned over the years. That is, it was faded and scratched everywhere except in a tiny circle where his tear had hit and where table had been remarkably restored.

Harry blinked in amazement. He had spent so much time researching, picking through miniscule sentences in large volumes, and he had dragged Ron into the library during his winter vacation only to have the answer fall so naturally into his lap.

His tears had healing powers, meaning that a magical animagus inherited both natural and magical instincts of the animal, which meant that his suspicions regarding how his animagus form would save his life were most likely correct.

The kernel of hope that had seeded during his discovery of the missing page now began to bloom inside of him. There was a way to defeat Voldemort without his life being in vain.

There was a flutter of wings as Fawkes landed beside him on the table.

"Dumbledore has a pair of frantic visitors in his office. Apparently, after transforming into a stag and returning to human form you collapsed in pain and disappeared."

Harry released a sigh of relief. It seemed as though he had left the Marauders' quarters in his human form. Finally, something had gone right.

Fawkes cocked his head as if sensing something. _"You finally saw didn't you?"_

The vivid memory of the love in his parents' eyes for their newly discovered unborn child and the anguish in their faces when they heard the prophecy came to the front of his mind, and fresh tears began to pool in his eyes.

"They both loved you very much, Harry. You should never forget that."

Though Harry knew that he probably would not receive an answer, at least a helpful one, he had to ask the question anyway.

"Why didn't Dumbledore tell my parents all of the prophecy."

Fawkes thought a moment before responding. _"Quite simply because he did not know and still does not know that there was any more to tell."_

That took a moment to sink in. Not only had he actually been given a straight answer, it had not been the one he had been expecting.

"Do you mean that he doesn't even know about the missing page? I thought for sure he was the one who had it."

_"There are times that fate reveals too much of itself and must take measures to conceal what it must. This is true of the final portion of the prophecy. Somehow revealing what it says now may actually alter what is supposed to be. The information has been missing for some time now, and it has even faded from phoenix lore though it was once well-known."_

_"Then how do you know about it at all?"_

Fawkes looked torn once again and then provided the answer reluctantly, _"Though the details have faded, the knowledge remained that the final part of the prophecy dealt with the third reign of darkness."_

_"No!"_ Harry protested, feeling the desperate need to escape for the second time that night. A fury was beginning to burn through him.

_"Harry-"_ Fawkes started calmly.

_"No, it's just not fair. How-how could he be reborn with me?"_

"There are spells that he could use that could strengthen his link to you such that he could come back with you. That's why you have to be so careful about keeping your form a secret and why you should not transform when the time comes until it is absolutely necessary."

"Then I won't come back at all. If I die then he stays dead."

The kernel of hope was now effectively destroyed. At the moment he did not care anymore whether his life would be in vain as long as his death would not.

_"No, Harry, you were meant to be reborn. You felt it the first time that you read the prophecy."_

_"Not if it means bringing Voldemort back with me. I'm not that desperate to save my life if it means that I'm responsible for Voldemort returning again."_

Fawkes caught the significance of and the guilt riddled in the last statement but felt that there was no need to open another Pandora's box at the moment.

"We don't know if Voldemort himself is involved in the third reign. It may in fact be a new Dark Lord that is somehow associated with him, and if you do not allow yourself to be reborn, the world could fall to the darkness."

Hermione had told him once that he was only human, but in fact he was a puppet being controlled by invisible strings.

"Why does it have to be me? I never wanted this, never asked for this." His words were laced with true anguish.

Fawkes looked at him solemnly. _"And that, Harry, is exactly why it had to be you."_

Harry could not decide which sensation that he was feeling was the most prominent. He was so furious, so confused, so overwhelmed, and so tired. He wanted to scream, to shout, to reflect with decibels of his own production the unfairness of it all, but instead he whispered,_ "I don't want to do it anymore."_

He fled, first by air, and then at the soonest opportunity, he transformed back into his human self. He could barely feel his feet hitting the ground and found himself running blindly, letting his instincts guide him to a destination that he had yet to choose.

A collision shocked his senses back to his surroundings, and a grip on his forearm was the only thing that kept him from falling on his rump.

"Potter, watch where you're going!"

It was only then that he realized he had literally run into Snape.

Harry tried to stutter through an apology, but Snape was too impatient to wait for it.

"Come along, Potter. You've had all of your professors searching the castle for you, and I daresay that we all have better things to do with our time."

Harry's feet became rooted to the ground. The last thing that he wanted to do was to go to Dumbledore's office, which is where they would be inevitably heading.

He was not prepared to pretend that everything was okay, and he had not come up with a believable story as to what happened. He was well aware that would have to face what he had learned that evening, but now was not the time, not when everything was so fresh.

"Perhaps you misunderstood me. Let me be clearer. We will be taking a trip to the headmaster's office so that I will not have to waste any more of my valuable time."

Snape was glaring at him, but there seemed to be a minuscule twinge of concern visible in the onyx orbs when Harry neither moved nor responded.

"Has someone petrified you, Potter?"

"No, sir." Harry found his voice and was horrified when it cracked a little.

"Then we have an appointment to keep. If you have problems making under your own power, I have no reserves about stunning you and floating you up there."

For a brief and ridiculous moment, Harry wondered how far he would get if he simply bolted in the other direction, but being floated into Dumbledore's office would not help his predicament any.

Finally, he convinced his limbs to move and trudged reluctantly alongside Snape to the stone gargoyle.

Harry received another glare as Snape spat out the password. It seemed as though word had spread through the teaching staff that Harry was ultimately responsible for the prank played on the Weasley twins.

When Snape escorted Harry in, albeit a little roughly as his legs threatened to lock themselves outside of Dumbledore's office, Harry immediately felt guilty for delaying.

Upon seeing him, the relief in the room was almost tangible. Sirius was at his side immediately, wrapping his arm around the young wizard's shoulder and guiding him to a chair. Though Sirius took a seat beside his godson, he kept a hand squeezing with gentle pressure for the dual purpose of reassuring Harry and reassuring himself that Harry was not going anywhere.

Dumbledore's eyes flashed over at Harry, to gauge his condition, before turning his attention to Snape.

"Thank you, Severus. If you would be so kind as to inform the others that the search is no longer necessary."

"Of course." Snape replied curtly, spinning sharply to make his exit.

Dumbledore shot a calm smile in Harry's direction. "Would you care for a lemon drop, Harry?"

Would he care for a lemon drop? No he would not care for a lemon drop. What he wanted was to have a normal life, to be something between "Boy" and "The Boy-Who-Lived." He wanted just to be Harry where the thing that he feared most was his upcoming O.W.L.S.

Sensing his turmoil, Fawkes landed on his shoulders. Harry tensed, remembering what the phoenix had revealed, but felt himself relax as the phoenix worked his magic.

Steeling himself so as not to burst into hysterics, Harry met Dumbledore's eyes and replied softly but firmly, "No, thank you, sir." Then beating them to the question that he knew they wanted to ask, he added, "I don't know what happened. All I know is the transforming hurt, and then I was waking up in a corridor of the castle that I had never seen before."

"Are you in any pain now? Do you need to go to the Hospital wing?" The boyish enthusiasm that had lit up Sirius's face was gone, replaced by parental concern.

"No and definitely no. If I go to the hospital wing one more time this year, I think that Madam Pomfrey's just going to make me move there permanently."

This time it was Harry that was trying to lighten the mood while Dumbledore remained serious.

"Harry, I need you to think carefully about how you left. Do you remember touching anything? Do you remember any particular sensations?"

Harry thought for a moment. At the time the transit had seemed instantaneous, but now that he looked back on it, through the pain and other sensations, there had something, almost like a tugging sensation. Whether it was a result of him or something else, he could not be sure.

He missed the subtle shake of Remus's head, indicating to the headmaster that he could detect no foreign spells on Harry.

"No, I'm sorry." The words came out easily, and Harry wondered if it was a good thing lying had become easier since the beginning of the year.

However, unease began to creep through him at his headmaster's probing gaze, telling Harry that he was not as comfortable lying to his headmaster as he had first thought. A jolt of concern shot through him as Dumbledore's shoulders slumped as if under an invisible weight, and the twinkle in his eye faded, emphasizing the wrinkles in his wizened face.

"There's no need to apologize for that which you can control. I'm sorry to say that I cannot offer you an explanation for your disappearance, but, unfortunately, I understand the circumstances of your transformation quite well." Dumbledore paused a moment to close his eyes, and when he opened them again, they were cracked with regret. "I've already spoken to Sirius and Remus. I'm afraid that you will not be able to continue with your animagus lessons."

Although canceling the lessons had been his plan from the beginning, there was a genuine sadness that rose inside of him at Dumbledore's words. He could not bear to look at his godfather and see the inevitable disappointment in his features.

Sirius squeezed Harry's arm, trying to draw his attention. "I'm sorry, Harry. I know that you must be disappointed. I guess that it wasn't such a great Christmas present after all."

As Harry looked up to face the pair, Lupin winked at him, "But don't worry. We'll find something else to give you for Christmas."

"That's not necessary." Harry felt really low, undeserving of a present. He felt awful for deceiving them, especially when they were putting aside their own disappointment and trying to make him feel better.

Sirius looked as if he was appalled, "Of course it is. What kind of godfather do you take me for?"

"Besides, knowing Sirius, he already has something up his sleeve." Remus spoke with a straight face but with obvious sarcasm.

"Well, if you're going to poke fun, Moony, I won't let you help, and you'll have to think of your own present."

Dumbledore cleared his throat and the Marauders fell silent, but Harry was relieved to note that Dumbledore's eyes had regained a bit of their sparkle.

"Would the two of you mind continuing this conversation elsewhere? There are some things that I would like to discuss with Harry alone."

Sirius actually opened his mouth to argue, but shut it when Dumbledore's eyes rested upon him. The blue depths were both commanding and pleading, and it was the latter that Sirius could not argue against. He squeezed Harry's arm again, hoping to provide a reassurance that he could not find the words to express.

"I'm all right, Sirius." The words did little to placate anyone as they came out sounding rather hollow.

_You always are, Harry._ Sirius thought sadly. For not the first time he sent a silent plea to James, asking for some guidance in helping his son.

"I'll see you later, Harry. If you need to talk…" The sentence trailed with the open invitation.

"Thanks."

There was a growing part of him that wanted desperately to confide in his godfather, to simply blurt everything out, to finally talk to someone and allow himself to have a little help. However, despite his resolve not to be the puppet of fate any longer, he found himself keeping his silence.

When the pair had completed their reluctant exit, Dumbledore stood from the chair behind his desk and sat in the chair Sirius had previously occupied, as if closing more than the physical gap that had separated them.

It was not his headmaster that sat in front of him but the man who actually resided in the shell of the great Albus Dumbledore, and that man seemed surprisingly vulnerable as he began his narrative.

"I was about your age when I began my own independent study to become an animagus. My powers were growing much as yours are now, and classes were becoming too easy for my tastes, so I decided to give myself a challenge. It took me only a week to get through the initial transformational processes, which should have taken months. The following night I was convinced that I could complete the transformation. I barely got past the initial stages before I felt as if I was being ripped apart. I managed to return to my original form before I collapsed. The next thing I knew, I was waking up in the hospital wing. Apparently, one of my housemates discovered me lying on the ground unconscious. After I was released, I tried to transform only once more, but the pain began even sooner than it had before. It's still one of my deepest regrets today that I will never be able to take my form."

Dumbledore's eyes shifted so that they were looking longingly at Fawkes, and Harry knew then exactly what form Dumbledore had the potential to take.

A fresh surge of guilt flowed through him, stemming from the fact that Dumbledore had opened up to him thinking that he was sharing a similar pain to relieve Harry's own when in fact Harry was hiding the truth from him.

"I told you this, Harry, because sometimes things like this happen. It doesn't make you any less of a wizard, and it's not your fault, but it is okay to feel disappointed."

"Thank you." Harry murmured weakly.

Dumbledore smiled, and suddenly it was his headmaster sitting across from him again.

"Now, I will trust your judgement that you do not need to go to the hospital wing, certainly you've been there often enough to be an accurate judge, but I'm sure that you must be exhausted. If I know them, Sirius and Remus will be waiting for you at the bottom of the stairwell to take you back to your dormitory."

Fawkes flew back to his perch as Harry stood to leave. Internally the battle had not been won about what role he wanted his life to play. If he decided simply to die, it would not matter who knew about his form. He could tell Dumbledore everything as well as Sirius and Remus. In a way, his life would be much simpler if he simply died with Voldemort, but what if Fawkes was right? What if his death allowed another Dark Lord to plunge the wizarding world into darkness? What if the easy path for him condemned everyone he cared for?

Just as Harry reached the door, Dumbledore called out a soft question. "Harry, are you sure there isn't something that you want to tell me?"

"I'm sure. Good night, sir, and thank you for everything."

In fact, Harry had never been less sure of anything in his life.

Despite everything, he could not stop the corners from his lips from twitching slightly upwards when he saw Lupin and a large black dog at the bottom of the stairwell.

"Harry, you have to help her. She's either going to hurt herself or drive herself mad." Ron announced flopping down on his bed the next evening.

Harry looked up from his Charms essay, "Is she _still_ practicing?"

"I went and joined her for awhile. I know that it's difficult magic, so I really don't care that I'm not making progress yet, but she does. She's a mess Harry."

Harry looked down at his essay. It was due in the morning, but he knew that he was going to have to scrap it anyway. His mind just could not focus on his work, and he had to admit that his essay was not the least bit coherent.

"All right." Harry agreed. "But if she kills me, I'm coming back to haunt you."

The Gryffindor common room was remarkably empty. It appeared as if the Gryffindors had decided that it would be safer to do their homework somewhere else that evening.

_"Expecto patronum!"_

Harry was amazed at the desperation in Hermione's voice.

"Hermione, stop." Harry commanded softly but firmly.

She whirled to face him with a bit of a crazed look to her features.

"I can't stop, not until I get something."

"Then let me help you. Look, the way I figure it, you've helped Ron and me loads of times over the years. We owe you several times over. Let me help you just this once."

She looked defeated, but she agreed.

"Good. Sit down."

"Sit down? But I can't take a break now. I-"

"I'm not asking you to take a break. Trust me, Hermione."

A soft throbbing was beginning to emerge against his skull, and this time it had nothing to do with his scar.

She sat, but she did not look happy about it. Harry sat beside her.

"Now the first thing that you have to do is relax. You're not going to get anywhere if you're so frustrated that you can't think straight."

The irony of the statement was not lost on him. After all, Dumbledore had purposely frustrated him to get results, and Hermione's frustration was preventing her from achieving them.

"I want you to close your eyes and think about your happy memory. Go back to the moment and remember how it made you feel."

Harry let her sit there until a smile quirked onto her face and the crazed tension had smoothed out of her face.

"Now, stand up, open your eyes, and try the spell again, focussing on that feeling."

_"Expecto patronum!"_

Hermione's face fell when nothing happened yet again.

"No, don't get discouraged." Harry spoke quickly. "It's the joy that feeds your patronus. Find a different memory, a stronger one, and try again."

_"Expecto patronum!"_

Again there was nothing, but there had been the edge of frustration in her voice as she had spoken the spell.

"Hermione, you have to relax. Don't force it."

There was a moment of silence before Hermione cast the spell again.

_"Expecto patronum!"_

Ten minutes passed much the same with Harry encouraging Hermione and urging her to relax, and he was beginning to doubt his methods. He felt helpless and useless, and he noticed that there were tears glittering in Hermione's eyes.

She lowered her wand in defeat. "Maybe I just can't do it."

Harry met her eyes, seeing the tears about to fall, and decided that he was not about to let her give up.

"Just try it once more. We can always continue later, and I'm sure Remus would be willing to help. He'd probably be much better at helping you than I am."

There was just something about his voice. Hermione looked at him, really looked at him for the first time since he had returned from his animagus lesson. There was a pain and conflict that had not been there before, and she was horrified to discover that she had no idea when it had happened nor why. She had been too immersed in her own problem.

Looking into his eyes, she focussed on the aftermath of the troll attack in her first year when she realized that Harry and Ron really cared about her, the day that their friendship had begun.

A tiny wisp of silver smoke emerged from the tip of her wand, and for a moment it seemed as though Hermione could not believe it.

Then, she squealed loudly and wrapped her arms tightly around Harry, thanking him over and over again as if babbling.

"I didn't do anything Hermione. It was all you. Why don't you go tell Ron the good news? He was worried about you."

Hermione released him and looked at him as if he had just suggested something quite vulgar.

"But I'm not allowed in the boy's dormitories."

Harry shrugged. "You're a prefect. If you feel the need, you can take points away from yourself afterwards. I think five should be sufficient. Now go on."

With only a smile, she raced up the stairs.

Harry had not been so nervous about a Quidditch match since his first game. He had been off since the revelation in the Phoenix Chamber, but he had not realized how off he had been until Angelina had pulled him aside after the last practice and had asked if there was anything bothering him.

His teachers were beginning to approach him about the decline of his work quality, and he had assured everyone that nothing was wrong.

It was the biggest lie he had told to date.

He had promised himself that he would put aside all worries until the end of the game for the sake of his team. Besides it was dangerous to be distracted during Quidditch. Harry had obtained his fair share of injuries when he was paying attention.

The familiar fire of excitement lit in his stomach at the release of the Quaffle to begin the game. He began to circle the pitch, looking for the familiar glint of gold of the Snitch.

Cho Chang was right on his tail. Ever since the end of the Triwizard tournament, he had not been able to see her in the same way. It was amazing how death could so effectively destroy a crush.

He shook himself forcefully. This was not the time. He had a Snitch to catch.

The Gryffindor team, while they had always been good, was playing at a level that Harry had never seen. As Alicia made a near-impossible goal, Harry realized that they were playing so hard because they were worried about him. They were trying to raise their lead above Ravenclaw such that catching the Snitch would not matter, and they were doing a fair job. The score was already thirty to nothing.

For the first time, his mind completely cleared with his new incentive. He would not let them down.

He sped away from Cho, weaving in a pattern around the Bludgers so that she could not follow. Once he had shaken her, he slowed, perusing the field for the tiny metal object.

He dipped a bit, thinking that maybe he had seen something when a spell hit him. There was an instant of searing pain as all of the air was forced from his lungs, and he could not make them work to draw in more.

He knew that he was falling, and he heard cries of alarm from the crowd. He tried to find the focus that Dumbledore had been trying to help him find. It didn't matter that his lessons thus far had been, in his opinion, less than successful.

He was feeling dizzy, fuzzy, and quite a bit desperate. Everything seemed to be going in slow motion, and he wondered how long he had been falling.

The restricted feeling in his chest was lifted, and with his first breath he screamed, "_Accio_ Firebolt!"

The broom raced into his outstretched hand, and he maneuvered his body so that he could mount it only five feet from the ground. He zoomed back up to the playing field, furious. That had been intentional.

Immediately he scanned the Slytherin section and saw Draco Malfoy wearing an incriminating smirk on his face, and right above his head was the Snitch.

Harry flew faster than he had ever flown before right at Malfoy.

The smirk left Malfoy's face, and he ducked seconds before Harry would have smashed right into him. As it was, when he pulled up with the Snitch held up victoriously in his hands, the edge of his broom whacked Malfoy on the back of the head, accidentally of course, with a satisfying thud, hard enough to be quite uncomfortable but not hard enough to knock him unconscious.

Lee Jordan was ecstatic. "Gryffindor wins 240 points to 10!"

Harry landed to find the Weasley twins clap him on the back, "Great catch Harry."

Harry looked at his teammates, who were beaming, "Me? What about you guys? You've been holding out on me. Since when have you been able to play like that? Keep it up, and Slytherin won't know what hit them."

"What happened, Harry? Why did you fall like that?" Alicia was the first to ask, but the others were obviously curious.

"I was hit by a spell." Harry's eyes were glittering. "Let's just say that Malfoy had better practice very hard before our match because I'm not going to pull any punches."

As the team left the field Fred and George flanked him and both put an arm around his shoulder. He was not sure which one spoke, but the sentiment seemed to be a shared one.

"After the party, we're going to have a little chat with you a Ron about a little thing called Fountain fizzies."

Harry did not recognize where he was, but there was a tingle of familiarity in the back of his mind that was like an itch that could not be scratched. Wherever it was, there was rubble everywhere and there was evidence of a recent battle.

_"Not Harry-"_

_The words whispered through his mind and Harry realized where he was. This was what was left of Godric's Hollow._

_There was a series of pops and Harry immediately recognized Dumbledore, Sirius, and Remus._

_The three of them saw what Harry had not: a pair of wands lying on the ground._

_Sirius called his godson's name out in utter anguish as all of them ran towards the wands and the apparent final resting sites for Voldemort and Harry._

_Harry felt his heart break in half. He could not bear to see them hurting so._

_Sirius collapsed onto his knees as if his world had come to an end, unable to believe that he had failed his godson so miserably._

_A tiny fist shot up from amongst the rubble, gray from what appeared to be ash, and an infant's cry echoed in the midst of destruction._

_Harry gasped as a pair of vibrant emerald eyes stared back in the infant's head, and as Sirius brushed the ash from the baby's face he uncovered the familiar lightning scar._

_"Harry?" Sirius breathed._

_"Albus, how…?" Remus could not even finish the question._

_"Merlin."__ Dumbledore gasped in amazement. "That was why the prophecy referred to him as a phoenix. It didn't have anything to do with him being part of the Order at all. I'm sorry Harry. I thought that I was protecting you."_

_Harry stared at his younger self in shock. All this time he figured that he would somehow return as he left. It had not even crossed his mind that he would begin again as an infant, but now that he thought of it, it did make sense._

_"Let's get him back to Hogwarts, Sirius, and have Madam Pomfrey make sure that he's all right." Remus spoke breaking through the shock that had come upon Sirius._

_Sirius lifted the infant completely clothed in ashes into his arms like a precious treasure that he was afraid would break or disappear._

_The babe settled into the warmth of his arms, and the emerald eyes gazed at Sirius's tear-stained face with a look that was much older and more mature than the infant's apparent age._

_"It will be better this time, Harry. This time you'll grow up with me like you should have in the first place. We captured Wormtail tonight. It's only a matter of time before I'm cleared of all charges."_

_Sirius's face was conflicted, full of hope and yet inexorably sad. His godson was alive, and yet the Harry he had known was gone._

_The last time Harry had a vision of the future, he had changed it. He had saved Snape's life. Maybe he could change this too. Maybe he could be reborn as a phoenix. They would mature faster, but that would mean that they would believe him dead for at least a couple of months._

Harry awoke, his mind still in turmoil over the last part of the prophecy, but at least now he had made a decision. He knew what he had to do.

A/N: Well, you guys got some answers. You know now that Dumbledore does not have the page and that his form is a phoenix. I will update when I can, but I will continue. Have not fear. Now onto the reviewers:

Chava: I'm very happy that you liked the Snape scene. Thanks for the preview and convincing me to leave it in. I liked the idea of the Fountain fizzies as well. They came only because I could not think of anything for Harry to give Ron for Christmas.

shawn: The wait was not so bad this time. Thanks.

Lani Lalaith: I hope that you enjoyed the rest of it.

venus4280: Well, I'm afraid that you didn't quite get that answer did you, but you got others. I hope that this chapter was just as entertaining.

Kim: No fear. I've done that myself. Try to stay through the end because the end is the best part and was the inspiration for the rest of the story.

tnythms: Look, I did.

CounterCurse: Well, I actually answered all of your questions. It would not kill Harry to tell them, it would just risk Voldemort finding out and allow him to resurrect himself along with Harry.

ultrasoul: No, he does not have the ability to become any animal that he wants. Though he took the stag form, he could not hold it. Your Snape comment is right on, and I'm trying to manipulate that misunderstanding to develop the interactions between the two. Fred and George weren't angry, just very embarrassed. They had a good laugh later. Um, sorry about not telling you exactly how he got there. Thanks for the input.

Padawan JaAQ: Well, this might not be as bad a cliffhanger for you. Thanks.

Thundering Lights: I'll make a confession to you… I continually reread my story because I can't remember everything. I can understand what you mean. Did I help with your suspicion about the prophecy? Thank you for the rest of your encouraging words. I just can't respond accurately to them.

howling wolf: No problem. If there's anything else, just ask.

gaul: No, he wouldn't. His form is a phoenix and nothing else. As for how he made it that far in the stag transformation, that's a question for another time. I hope that you liked this chapter.

Charma1219: Oh, good. I was anxious about the scene with the Snape and Harry talk, and I'm glad that you like Dumbledore. He's one of my favorite characters. Keep enjoying it.

chrissy: Thank you. I won't stop writing. One day, I'm determined to publish something.

Von: All right. It's my fault that I jumped the gun. You guys will get to vote for which version you want in the last chapter. Until then, I won't be able to keep track, but thank you. We'll see how Harry actually got there. The revelation that I have planned is much more dramatic than that, but still fun. Yes, poor Hermione. I think that it was good for her to have to struggle. Yes, I'm grateful for the computer labs. I will try my best to update, but I will continue no matter what.

Sakura Le: Oh, yes. They were quite worries. Poor Hermione nearly drove herself crazy, and the twins have been asking for that for a long time.

knuckz: I will, don't worry.

unght2001: Thanks.

Illusia: Umm… maybe you see the potential now. If I told you about the sequel, it would ruin the ending. You hit the tear thing right on. I've had that planned for a while. It's not fair ruining the cliff hanger by reading the little details, but once again you were right. As for the apparation… well, we'll just have to see how that happened. Yes, it did. Remember that Sirius told Harry that they weren't expecting much. Imagine their surprise. As for why Harry was able to transform originally so quickly, he's Harry. The Marauders were normal in learning their forms.

ranger: Thanks, I will.

Ranchel A. Prongs: I understand. I hope that you liked the Hermione resolution.

krazymelmo5385: Thanks.

Tara: Well, you have a couple less questions at least.

phoenixrising: No, he does not have unlimited forms. It would be no fun if Harry was all-powerful. Hurdles make it better. :-)

Xirleb70: Thanks. The competition is interesting, but I'm glad that you win.

baasheep: Well, as for how he left, that's still a mystery. Harry will not be all-powerful, just powerful enough to justify what happened when he defeated Voldemort the first time. Yes, that's exactly where the bursting into flames came from. Symbolism is great isn't it? Sirius will always be a Marauder at heart, but he has been in Azkaban for 12 years. That will sober anyone. Dumbledore does not know and will not know until the time is right. I understand being overwhelmed all too well. Believe me. That is a good idea to write the entire fic and then post, but I don't have the patience to do that. What area of medicine do you want to go into?

kateydidnt: Not quite. Hopefully, this is a better note to end on before the big move.

Twinlakeshgrl: The chapters just get longer and longer. It will be finished. Thanks.

Wizard: Sorry. I hope that this eases the edge of the seat thing.

Insane Pineapple from Naboo: Oh, they won't be disappointed, but they will be quite surprised when they do find out. Does the scene in the hall count as another conversation because I nearly died when I read your review. Am I that predictable?

Mella deRanged: Thanks.

Arizosa: Don't vote yet, but thanks for the enthusiasm. :-)

Kathleen: You do realize that if I die I can't write anymore, right?

Zahri Seb Melitor: Well, your inner fangirl should be happy with some of this chapter. Yes, Dumbledore uses humor as a defense mechanism. The poor man has had so much responsibility in his lifetime. Very much like Harry actually. Did you like the answers?


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: **Please don't kill me. I hate to tell you this, but medical school is hard! That combined with the worst writer's block that I've ever had resulted in the incredibly long delay.

I have set up a yahoo group. If should go down, posting will continue there, not to mention that it's a lot of fun.

http/groups. chapter had to be dedicated to my newly instated beta reader Chava without whom this chapter would still be in the works. As a warning, she told me that she needed chocolate to cheer herself up at the end of the chapter, so maybe you should all get some chocolate before beginning.

**Harry Potter: Prophecy of the Phoenix- Chapter 15**

Dumbledore's heart clenched painfully and guiltily as he looked, really looked, at Harry for the first time since his failed animagus attempt earlier that week.

If Dumbledore had not known better, he would have guessed that Harry had spent the previous week with the Dursleys as his features were beginning to take on the characteristics they had obtained during that dreadful summer.

Harry had begun to lose weight again, and though Dumbledore was well aware of Harry's continuous struggle with slumber, the shadows around his eyes had grown so much more defined.

He was about to invite the young man to sit, but when his gaze finally focused on Harry's eyes, his breath was stolen away in surprise. He had never seen Harry's eyes so intensely brilliant, glimmering with decision and determination.

It was the very antithesis to the dull gray, dead-looking orbits that Dumbledore had been expecting to see, and he could not account for such a discrepancy.

Perhaps the situation was not as grave as he feared, and perhaps he was merely trying to delude himself once again.

Harry shifted his weight uncomfortably from side to side under his headmaster's gaze, feeling a little anxious and wishing that he at least had some clue as to why he was there.

Finally, Harry could stand it no longer and broke the silence, "Sir, Professor McGonagall said that you wanted to see me."

Dumbledore gave himself a mental shake. "Yes, Harry. Please have a seat."

Instead of assuaging Harry's uneasiness, the words only seemed to exacerbate it. Dumbledore's face was gravely serious, and the shining in his eyes was deeply muted.

Something was definitely going on, and whatever it was, Harry was sure that it was not anything good.

Harry started for the chair, moving deliberately slowly in his reluctance in order to avoid whatever it was for a few seconds longer.

Dumbledore waited a few seconds to begin, and Harry found his desires shift suddenly from wanting to delay the inevitable conversation to wishing that Dumbledore would just start so that whatever it was would be over.

"I've done you a great disservice Harry, and I must apologize to you for my oversight." Dumbledore spoke finally, unable to contain all vestiges of personal emotions beyond that appropriate of the headmaster-student relationship from his voice.

Harry blinked dumbly at the elder wizard, knowing that Dumbledore meant exactly what he had said but not knowing why his headmaster had said it.

"Professor-"

"Let me finish. I've let you go this week, turning a blind eye to what you were doing to yourself. I let myself believe that you were merely disappointed though my gut told me that there was something else, something desperately important that you were hiding. It took not only several of your teachers voicing their concerns but a visit from Miss Granger as well for me to finally acknowledge that I was deluding myself."

Harry found his mind wander sharply and quickly as it whirred frantically trying to figure out what had driven Hermione to see Dumbledore without speaking to him first. He felt betrayed and confused as well as a bit angry, and it hit him much harder and deeper than when she had gone to McGonagall about the Firebolt in his third year.

The lingering pause in Dumbledore's speech brought Harry's attention back to the elder wizard.

There seemed to be actual, physical pain in the azure pools in Dumbledore's eyes, which elicited a strange rush of sensations in Harry. The guilt and the regret due to his inability to tell his headmaster exactly what was going on was expected, but the strange sensation of peace with having finally made his decision was not.

"Now, I will ask you again if there is something that you wish to share with me."

Somehow, Harry did not think that Dumbledore would not accept a simple "no" as he had in the past, but Harry found himself automatically voicing a dismissal of Dumbledore's concerns.

"It really is nothing, sir."

Dumbledore looked deflated and severely disappointed. He closed his eyes for a brief moment as if to compose himself, and he felt another wrenching pain in his chest. When he opened his eyes again and began to speak, his voice had dropped a few decibels.

"I wish that I could believe that, Harry, but I'm afraid that I can't and I won't let it go at that. Not this time at least. There is something going on. You aren't eating, you aren't sleeping, your schoolwork is slipping, and you seem to have taken on a disregard or at least a flippant attitude towards your own life."

That last part startled Harry. He knew where the others in the list had come from, but what had caused Dumbledore to come to that final conclusion? After all, he had spent most of the previous week trying to make an extremely critical decision about his life: whether or not to sacrifice it or fight to return to it.

"I don't understand."

The words leaked from his lips without much thought. As soon as he had realized what he had said, he opened his mouth to elaborate, but to Harry's immense relief, Dumbledore correctly deduced the source of Harry's incomprehension.

"What happened at the Quidditch game yesterday was inexcusable. As a result, Mr. Malfoy has lost his prefect status as well as 100 points from Slytherin, and he has earned himself a week's worth of detention with Professor McGonagall. He has been warned that no matter who his father is, he will be expelled barring any further inappropriate conduct.

So that was why there was the buzz of gossip in the Great Hall that morning and why Malfoy had been shooting daggered looks in his direction. He really _had_ been distracted.

"However, what concerns me more is your lack of concern regarding the incident. You treated it and dismissed it as if you had been a victim of a practical joke. I would have hoped that after your experiences with a certain pair of housemates, that you would know the difference between a joke and something serious."

Harry waited for Dumbledore to continue but found his headmaster looking at him expectedly.

After a few moments of wild panic while trying to figure out exactly what question had been asked, he found himself blurting out, "I don't know what you want me to say."

This earned a sad smile from the headmaster. "Why don't you forget about what I want to hear and tell me the truth?"

Dumbledore had no idea exactly how much Harry wanted to do exactly that. Once he had made his decision, Harry had toyed with the idea of revealing to Dumbledore that he knew about the prophecy, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized that the seemingly innocent revelation could lead into so many directions that he could not afford to go.

Dumbledore waited patiently in silence for several moments, but when he saw that Harry was not going to give a response, he spoke once more.

"Harry, I know something happened to you last Monday evening besides the failed animagus attempt and vanishing from the room."

"Why?"

The response took the elder wizard so aback that he caught himself gaping slightly at the teen sitting across him.

"Pardon me?"

"I mean, isn't that enough?"

What happened next seemed like a flood that burst through a dam Harry had not known that he had built.

"So far this year I may or may not have apparated in a place that it's impossible to apparate in without knowing how to apparate, I'm not allowed to use my wand because my powers grew out of my control when they were supposed to decrease, my patronus is abnormal, and I've seen a madman murder innocent people for no good reason. Not to mention that I was perfectly fine with accepting that it was my mother's protection that saved me from Voldemort before she had to go and tell me that I was responsible after all."

As soon as he had spoken those last words, Harry realized with horror what he had just admitted.

"You've spoken to your mother?" A knot of cold fear began to form and spread throughout Dumbledore's torso.

Harry nodded, mentally cursing himself for his own stupidity.

"When?"

"In Divination when we were learning about mediumistic abilities." Harry mumbled, not noticing the twinge of panic that had crept into his headmaster's voice.

"Have you spoken to your father as well?"

Dumbledore desperately wanted Harry to say "no" so that he could dismiss the conversation with his mother as a fluke, but he could see in Harry's eyes that he was not going to get the response that he wanted.

"Once, in a dream."

Harry responded truthfully, confused as to why Dumbledore had asked that particular question and not tried to learn more about the vision of his mother. Looking closely at his headmaster, he could sense that something was off.

"Is there something wrong, sir?"

"No, not at all." Dumbledore lied smoothly, hating himself for doing exactly what he had brought Harry in to remediate.

He just did not have the heart to tell the young man in front of him that in the wizarding world, it was not unusual for family members to visit their loved ones up to a year in advance of a sudden or violent death, especially with children and adolescents. It was a way of easing the transition from life to the afterlife so that the children did not cling at the moment of their deaths and become trapped in the physical realm as ghosts.

"Are you sure?" Harry had a creepy feeling in his veins that he had given away something that he should not have.

"I'm certain. You need not concern yourself with anything else."

Before Harry could find an appropriate response, Dumbledore opened his desk drawer and pulled out a lemon drop.

Harry groaned quietly, not at all up for any more frustration having spent the majority of the late evening and early morning hours practicing in vain. He missed the smirk that traveled quickly across Dumbledore's lips.

"I'll make you a deal Harry. You levitate this lemon drop once without your wand and once with, and I'll allow you to use your wand in class again with the provision that you stop if you feel like you've lost your focus. You will also continue private tutorial sessions with me to work on your wandless magic."

It would have been a great deal except Harry was sure that he'd never get past the first requirement.

Dumbledore had reclined backwards into his chair and was watching Harry expectantly.

Trying to draw his fatigue-laden mind to concentrate on the lemon drop, Harry spoke the levitation spell firmly.

As in the past, the lemon drop remained obstinately still.

Dumbledore was about to say something when the lemon drop suddenly burst into flames, burning long only long enough to turn the sweet to ashes and not scorching the desk at all.

"Well, that wasn't exactly what I had in mind." Dumbledore remarked with a hint of humor in his voice. "However, that showed remarkable focus, so I believe I'll count that." He took another lemon drop from his drawer. "Now use your wand, and I'd appreciate if you'd just levitate this one. I hate to see a good sweet go to waste."

Harry drew his wand from his robe pocket, feeling as if he was being reunited with an old friend.

The spell had barely left his lips as he swished and flicked when the lemon drop shot straight up to lodge solidly in the ceiling.

Harry stared at the ceiling in surprise. He had spent so much time in the past week being frustrated that he had not expected it to be so easy.

His attention was averted by the sound of Dumbledore's desk drawer open for the third time.

"One more time, Harry. Perhaps this time you shouldn't put so much power into it. I'm beginning to run low in my supply of lemon drops."

_And that was a real shame_. Harry could not help but think, even though he sincerely doubted that the supply was severely depleted because of the loss of two lemon drops.

"_Wingardium__ leviosa._"

This time, the lemon drop hovered nicely above Dumbledore's desk.

"Nicely done, Harry. I'll send word to your professors immediately after we're through."

"Thank you, sir."

The smile on Harry's face was genuine. Being allowed to use his wand again was as much a relief as the decision he had made.

Although Dumbledore was glad to see the smile, he knew that allowing Harry to use the wand was only a temporary fix.

"Harry, I know that this year has been overwhelming, but you can't allow yourself to become so overwhelmed that you neglect your health. You aren't alone. Don't be afraid to ask for help."

Harry nodded, looking appropriately abashed.

"Now, is there anything else that you'd like to share with me?"

"No."

"Are you absolutely sure?" Dumbledore was looking at him critically, not quite believing him.

"Yes, sir, I'm sure."

Dumbledore eyed him for a few minutes longer. "All right, but I want you to know that we're going to be keeping a closer eye on you, and if we see something remotely out of the ordinary, you will be returning here for another chat. Now I'm sure that we both have work to attend to."

Harry stood from his chair but had barely made it halfway to the door before Dumbledore called out his name.

He watched as his headmaster seemed to prepare himself for something big, and Harry could not help but stiffen.

"Try to have some fun."

Harry nodded, too confused to come up with an answer. If he was not mistaken, those were not the words Dumbledore had originally planned to say, but seeing that the elder wizard was not going to add anything to his advice, Harry completed his exit from the office.

As soon as he was gone, Dumbledore slumped in his chair. He knew that Harry was no longer a child and that now more than ever he needed to hear the prophecy, especially if he was being visited by his parents.

He had tried what seemed to be about million times to tell the teen, but each time he put it off with another excuse. So much had happened to Harry this year that the excuses had come easily, but for one brief moment Dumbledore had worked up the nerve to tell Harry everything.

Then it passed like a candle being promptly snuffed out because Dumbledore had allowed the unthinkable.

He had become emotionally attached to Harry, and he found himself most unwilling to bring him further pain and risk the ever-developing relationship they begun to forge, which revealing what he had hidden for so long would inevitably do.

He buried his face in his hand in a moment of self-indulgence and spoke, "I am a bloody coward, Fawkes."

Harry was heading back to Gryffindor tower when a large black mass hurtled toward him, almost knocking him over.

"You aren't supposed to be out here." Harry chided gently.

In response, the black dog stood so that it was on its hind legs and that his front paws were on Harry's shoulders. Harry did not even have the change to question the unusual gesture before Padfoot gave him a large, sloppy lick across his face.

Harry swiped at his face in disgust, and then turned a glare to the large dog once again on four legs in front of him. If dogs could laugh, this one certainly was.

"What was that for?" Harry demanded in mock-irritation.

The dog grabbed part of Harry's robes with his teeth and tugged Harry in the direction which he had come from.

"Oh, so you want me to come with you. Well, you could have just asked – Hey!"

Padfoot had released Harry's robes and had bounded off, almost in the same hurry in which he had arrived.

Harry had no choice but to dash after the dog, wishing that he could turn into his own animagus form because his phoenix could outpace his godfather's dog anytime. At the moment, the dog had completely lost him, and Harry hoped that Sirius had intended to bring him to where Lupin and he had been staying.

When Harry finally entered the temporary living quarters of the pair of Marauders, gasping slightly at the excursion, he found Lupin and Sirius waiting for him.

"What took you so long?" Sirius smirked.

Sirius's dark locks promptly disappeared.

Or to be more precise, Sirius's hair became invisible, leaving the prankster completely unaware as to what happened.

Lupin suppressed the urge to chuckle, having had much practice in the past at keeping a straight face, and communicated with Harry with a subtle shake of his head, which remained unseen by Sirius, not to say anything.

"That was completely unfair." Harry replied, still a little short of breath. "What was so important, anyway?"

Sirius was beaming. "We wanted to give you your Christmas present."

"And if you thought he was excited before, he's so much more so now that it's scary." Lupin remarked, plastering an innocent expression on his face as Sirius glared at him.

"You were much more fun before you turned traitor and became a professor."

"Sirius?"

"What?"

"Are you going to give Harry his present? That is why you ran off in such a hurry wasn't it?"

Sirius grumbled something unintelligible under his breath while Lupin smirked victoriously. The former turned around to grab a brightly wrapped package of about average size, and handed it to Harry with obvious pride.

Harry took entirely too much pleasure in unwrapping the present neatly and slowly, and Sirius looked like he was ready to grab the box from his godson's hands and rip it open himself.

When Harry finally lifted the lid, he found that the box was empty. He was about to question the pair when he felt himself being pulled inside the box.

When surrounds once again became visible, Harry found himself in an empty room.

"So, what do you think?"

Harry jumped at his godfather's voice, and whirled to see both Marauders grinning madly at him.

"I don't understand. Where are we?"

"This is your room, Harry."

Harry simply stared at them dumbfounded and finally managed to stammer out, "What do you mean, my room?"

"Well, you had to have some place to stay when you came to stay with us for the summer." Sirius teased.

"If you want to, that is." Lupin added.

Harry could not find his voice and continued to stare at him as if someone had cast a stunning curse on him.

"The answer we were hoping for was more along the lines of, 'Of course I want to live with you.'" Sirius prodded with a hint of a chuckle in his voice.

"Professor Dumbledore knows about this?" Harry could not bear to celebrate until he knew that all the details had been worked out. The disappointment would be too much.

"Of course." Lupin assured him. "He not only approved it, but he's also helping to set up the wards himself."

A smile began to form on Harry's face. "So, I'm going to spend the summer with the two of you?"

"I take it that's a 'yes' then?"

Instead of answering his godfather's question, Harry launched himself at them uncharacteristically allowing a huge show of emotion by pulling the pair into an awkward yet enthusiastic hug.

When he released them, Lupin looked at Sirius, "Should we tell him that he hasn't even got to his present yet?"

"I don't know Moony. I'm not sure he can handle it."

At this point, Harry was not sure he could handle it.

"Harry, what do you think of the room?" His godfather questioned.

"It's wonderful."

"Isn't there something wrong with it?" Sirius pushed.

Harry looked around. There was plenty of room, even though it was a little smaller than Dudley's second bedroom, there were no bars on the windows, there were no excessive locks on the door, and spiders were not falling on him from the ceiling.

"No, it's perfect."

Exasperated, Sirius exclaimed, "Harry, it's empty. There's nothing in it, no bed, no desk, and no color."

"What Sirius is trying to say is this is a spelled replica of your room. All you have to do is think about what you want it to look like, and we'll be able to see it. That way we can have your room decorated just the way you want it by the time you come home for the summer."

Harry nearly choked up over the word home and finally managed, "It's too much."

"Nonsense, Harry." Sirius chided. "We couldn't just give you a room. Of course you'd get a room if you came to live with us. That's not much of a gift. That's expected."

Neither had known that Harry had grown up in a cupboard, and in his mind, a room was definitely not an expectation. It was indeed a gift.

In an instant, Harry's emotions gave way enough to reason that he was able to think.

"Wait a minute. How in the world did the two of you manage to buy a house?"

Something almost-evil glinted in Lupin's eyes, and Harry thought that perhaps a little bit of the wolf inside him was shining through.

"Sirius has probably never told you this Harry, but he comes from very old money, meaning that your godfather is ridiculously wealthy. Dumbledore has some connections inside Gringotts and had a majority of the Black fortune discreetly moved to a different vault with my name on it."

"The man would have made a great Marauder had he been about a century younger." Sirius remarked appreciatively.

Ignoring Sirius's interruption, Lupin continued, "So it was a team effort. I signed the papers and Sirius provided the funds. Now, will you get on with decorating your room before your godfather explodes?"

Harry noticed but did not mention that Sirius was not the only one who looked ready to explode.

A few minutes later, there was a bed complete with maroon bedspread on one side of the room and a desk as well as a large bookshelf on the other. There was also a very large maroon floor rug covering the hardwood floor and a shade attached to his window.

"That's a good start." Sirius approved. "Now how about the walls?"

"I'll take care of the posters and such. I don't quite know what I want yet."

"But what about the color? You can't just leave them white."

What Sirius did not know is that when Harry had lived in the cupboard, he had dreamed about living in a room with white walls, and he had every intention of giving in to his inner child on that point.

"I want them white." Harry stated firmly.

"But Harry, I don't think you understand. You can have any color you want. You can even make moving murals."

"Sirius, really, I have my reasons. I want to leave them white."

Sirius looked disappointed for a split second before his face brightened, and Harry recognized the plotting countenance that had taken over his godfather's features. He definitely did not like the ease at which Sirius accepted his decision only a moment later.

He was certain that he was going to rue the day he told Sirius Black that he wanted plain white walls.

Harry stepped into the Gryffindor tower in an extremely good mood. Part of it was dispelled immediately when he saw Ron and Hermione sitting silently in a pair of chairs, anger evident on their faces.

"Are you two fighting?"

"I had nothing to do with it." Ron spoke up. "She went to Dumbledore on her own."

"It's okay Ron. I understand why she did it, but-"

"So you're taking her side!"

"I'm not taking anyone's side, Ron. I just said-"

"Fine, I don't care! Don't expect me to stand up for you ever again, Harry Potter." Ron stormed away to the dormitories.

Harry sank into the chair Ron had just vacated and mumbled, "I really didn't need this."

"I'm sorry, Harry." There were tears in her eyes.

"It's not your fault. I meant what I said. I understand why you went to Dumbledore, but I would like to know why you didn't come to me first."

Hermione's brows knit together in confusion. "I tried to talk to you several times, and you blew me off. Don't you remember?"

He honestly did not.

"I'm sorry, Hermione. I've been feeling a bit overwhelmed lately. I didn't realize just how distracted I've been until today."

"What happened this week? I know something did."

He could see the pain reflected in her eyes at being excluded, and after a short moment of soul-searching, he decided to give her as much of the truth as he could.

"You have to promise not to freak out."

She nodded, looking even more fearful.

Harry dropped his voice to make sure that she was the only one who could hear him.

"I may have apparated inside Hogwarts."

The logical part of Hermione took over.

"That's impossible. No one can apparate inside of Hogwarts, and you don't even know how to apparate yet."

Harry smiled at her, "Now do you understand?"

He proceeded to tell her the rest of the story that he had told Dumbledore about his supposedly botched animagus transfiguration.

"Why didn't you tell me this before?"

"I don't know." Harry responded honestly. "I'm sorry that I worried you. I just wasn't thinking straight."

_If you only knew how much worse it actually was, Hermione._ Harry thought ruefully.

He looked toward the stairs that led up to his dormitory room.

"Do you think I should go talk to him?"

Hermione released what was a combination of a sigh and a huff.

"Personally, I'd wait until he calms down a bit. He can be a real prat when he's angry."

"What exactly started the fight?"

She rolled her eyes in frustration. "He told me that I was seeing things, that you would tell us if something was wrong. He told me to leave you alone, and then he found out that I went to Dumbledore. He thought that I betrayed you."

"And then I told him that I understood why you went to Dumbledore."

"You did nothing wrong." Hermione spoke firmly, catching guilt in his statement. "He overreacted and didn't hear you out. Don't worry, he'll come around."

Harry's gaze drifted back to the stairs. He just wished for once that something would come easily. He hated having to fight everything.

"Harry?"

He turned back to Hermione in confusion, hearing her voice crack as if she was holding back tears.

"What's wrong, Hermione?"

"It's just that sometimes I feel like you're pulling away from all of us so that you won't feel guilty about doing something stupid like going off to fight Voldemort on your own."

The tears broke from her eyes.

"I need you to promise me Harry that you won't run off and do something stupid."

"Hermione, I'm not going to run off and do something stupid. I promise."

Technically, he was making his promise on semantics, but he could not bear to let her go on in pain. He knew that one way or another, he was going to have to face Voldemort alone. When the time came, he would do what he had to do, but considering the fact that he knew what the general outcome would be, he did not consider facing Voldemort to be a stupid decision at all.

"I'm going to hold you to that, Harry." Hermione spoke shakily and wiped the remaining tears from her face.

"Are you all right, Hermione?"

"I'm fine." Then a spark of normalcy hit her face, and her eyes widened. "I don't believe it. I spent so much time worrying about you that I still have two feet to write on my Potions essay, and it's due tomorrow!"

Harry felt the blood drain from his face as he chocked out, "What Potions essay?"

_Images began to coalesce from the darkness of the exhausted dreamless sleep Harry had naturally fallen._

_His scar was burning, but not nearly as much as he had come to expect. As he looked around, he could not figure out why or even where he was._

_This year alone, Harry had spent enough time in the Hospital wing to deduce from the sterile environment that he was in a hospital of some sort. He did not recognize the figures that were occupying the two beds in the room._

_The burning in his scar became more intense, and before Harry could press the heel of his hand defensively against it, the scenery shifted suddenly._

_There was a woman kneeling at Voldemort's feet._

_"You have served me faithfully, and you shall be rewarded. I will allow you to make one request of me."_

_"All I ask, master, is that you allow me to finish what I started in your name."_

_"A wise request.__ It shall be done."_

_Harry was feeling dizzy as he found himself back in the hospital room, not understanding what had just happened._

_Had he just had a vision inside a vision?_

_Surely what he had just seen could not be a coincidence. It had to be connected to what he was seeing now._

_His eyes fell upon an object on the nightstand between the beds, and an understanding dread came over him. He had to get help somehow. He had to stop it._

_He did not have a chance._

_A figure stepped out from behind the shadows as if from nowhere. Harry barely recognized the dark-haired, heavy-lidded woman from Dumbledore's pensieve, but he knew instantly that she was the same woman from his vision a mere moment before._

_"Well, if it isn't the great auror and his lovely wife."_

_The voice was huskier than Harry remembered, probably a remnant of the time she had spent in Azkaban._

_"Oh, how the mighty have fallen. You're downright pathetic. I hate to think that I may be doing you a favor, but I never leave my work unfinished. Unfortunately, I won't have the pleasure of hearing you scream this time."_

_Twin shots of green exploded from her wand before Harry could breathe a word of protest._

_Satisfaction gleamed in her eyes and was set in her face as she took in the results of her handiwork. The last traces of life were now vacant from the couple's faces._

_"Mosmordre."_

_The Dark Mark hovered above the beds like a demented cloud, and Bellatrix LeStrange slipped back into the shadows and into oblivion._

_Harry could barely stand to breathe, and he found himself unable to move. Instead his eyes remained fixed on the picture standing seemingly innocent on the nightstand._

_Fixed inside the golden frame, the image of Neville Longbottom was banging his fists inside the glass and screaming silently, expressing the same horror and helplessness Harry was too numb to feel._

**A/N: **Thanks everyone. Once again check out the yahoo group. It will be a lot of fun, and hopefully the next chapter will come out significantly sooner. Due to the large number of reviews, I have constructed a thank you list for those who reviewed without questions and have responded to the questions individually like before.

**Thanks to: anonymous, bittersweetsmiles, BookCrazy77, Calen, Cataclysmic, Charma1219, DaughterofDeath, Eris, fantagal, howlingwolf1, HpFan, Iavala, Iniysa, Jaded Angel8, Jedi-Bent, Kelsey, krazymelmo5385, KuTiExAzNxAnGeL, Lanilalaith, Luna Aelf Writer, Melissa, Padawan JanAQ, Phoenix Lumen, Queen-Seta/Remmy-The-Insane, ranger2, Shadow-Shamblin, slate07, stayblue, tearsoffire, twinlakeshgrl, The Goddess of the Black Rose, Unicornspirit**

**Alexis: **Thank you so much. Unfortunately, stress seems to come with the med school territory, but the fic will continued.

**Janelf** A new reader… how on earth did you even find this story buried in the pages? I'm glad that you like it, but as for when they find out… I'm not telling.

**Lady Abbey Bartlet:** Just a little over 3 months… I know it's still a long time. Have fun with high school. I don't know if you can cuss on but since this story is PG, you probably shouldn't.

**Ganymade** Harry does feel bad about leaving them out, but he has to do what he has to do.

**Chibi-Bex** I'm glad that you appreciate my sense of humor, but there will be no pink flamingos unless the Weasley twins develop something new. I hope that you found a better chair to read this chapter.

**Madame Moony: **Don't apologize. I agree with you 100.

**Hail030685:** I understand what you mean about waiting to read. Blame my muse who decided to desert me in my hour of need.

**two2feet**** and Molly Morrisson:** This story will not die, but it may experience delays because of real life. The ending is already written, so have no fear.

**Sword Wielder-Firebreath:** Actually, I've always wanted to publish, so someday maybe I'll be a real author like JKR. Thanks.

**kateydidnt**You caught me, and what's so sad is that I flipped through GOF to check. Let's just say it slipped Harry's mind too, okay?

**zorro**** x:** I definitely agree. We'll just see how it goes.

**Chava** Thanks for everything. Sorry about making you find chocolate…

**Danny's Girl:** Should I be looking for the killer bunny?

**Ueshiba** It's the curse of being a hero. Good luck with Pre-Med. If you have any questions, fell free to ask.

**Lily Skylo:** Don't you love when your question gets answered? As for practicing the stag form… No, that would not help.

**Usako3000:** But would he really want to relive an entire childhood again?

**EriEka127:** Yes, it does.

**Venus4280:** Wow, thank you. Unfortunately, Snape could not fit himself into this chapter, but he will be back soon enough. In my head, yes phoenixes retain their memories.

**Maximum Poofy-Pissed Off Queen:** I hope that you did not have to commit yourself. I'm glad that you like it.

**Kalor** Draco got exactly what he deserved.

**Arizosa** And the flips and corkscrews just keep on coming don't they?

**Griever Ime:** I update as often as I can.

**Siri**** Kat:** If chapters never ended, we be stuck at the computer screen all day.

**Thundering Lights:** Do not feel dense. When you read this story, pretend that the fifthe book never happened. After all, my Mundugus Fletcher is nowhere close to JKRs and other such things as that, which have already been established. The only thing that I may incorporate would be the O.W.L.s' scoring system. As for the phoenix thing… if he is reborn as an infant, he will age normally as an infant. However, phoenixes age much faster, and the fact that they're magical creatures may have some role. I know that the answer's confusing, but if I give away too much, the ending will lose its element of surprise. I'm glad that you like Fawkes, and Dumbledore really shows his human side in this chapter. I hope that you enjoyed it.

**Von:** No, it was in fact not the Cruciatus, but Malfoy still got his dues. I'm glad that you liked Dumbledore sharing his experience with Harry. There's so much potential there. Look for more" teacher" Harry in the chapters to come. Ron, well Ron is Ron I guess. I'm proud of the Gryffindors for stepping up too. There's more to Quidditch than having a good Seeker after all.

**Sailor C: **Thank you for the congratulation and thanks you for your kind words. They're both appreciated.

**Serpent of Light:** If that was the cliffhanger of doom, then what was this?

**baasheep**Yay anticipating questions. It does screw up review plans though, doesn't it? I'm glad that you like Fawkes too because I really like writing him. Of course, he's not really explored in the canon, so I have some liberties. There's nothing special about a stag per se. Harry in fact got further than Dumbledore did in the transformation. Sometimes, things just happen. It would make much more sense to them too if they knew that the stag was not his true form. Well, the speed this time definitely deserves no applause. Sorry. GP is cool. You might want to looking into the Mational Health Corps because they'll pay for Med school as long as you promise to serve in an underprivileged area for four years in some sort of primary care.

**Athelas** Harry needed to go down there because he felt like the debt was unjustified, and since it was Snape who had decided that it was, he wanted to talk him out of it. There is a reason why Harry could begin the transformation, which will be revealed later. I've also been very careful about Harry communicating with Fawkes only in phoenix form except once in a vision, which doesn't count because the rules of visions are not the same as those in the physical realm. Harry and Fawkes will have another talk soon. Hermione would have to tell you her happiest memory, but the one that produced the patronus was the fact that Harry and Ron cared enough to save her from the troll.

**gaul1:** The wands were Tom's and Harry's.

**Rachel A. Prongs:** Well, Harry did complete the transformation but could not hold it, so I guess the answer is yes and no.

**Insane Pineapple from Naboo:** I'm glad that I'm not predictable. Did you see the ending to this chapter coming? The reference of the snake/serpent actually is a reference to his lineage. So far no one has caught the subtle hint I made in the prophecy about the other lineage. No need to go screaming for the hills. The next Dark Lord will not disappoint… I hope.

**Tara6: **Yes and yes.

**stayblue** Yeah, stupid adults. The missing page will be addressed later. Don't worry.

**Xirleb70:** I'm glad that you decided to like it. Yes, memories will be retained.

**Kyntor** I happen to agree and have hopefully dealt with the situation appropriately. You'll never guess who turned Malfoy in.

**Em** Well, it takes a lot of power to do it, and Harry has to want to come back. Theoretically, I guess that's possible.

**Zahri**** Seb Melitor:** I do what I can to please the inner fan girl.

**Mella**** deRanged: **Harry will be Harry, and you got the rest worked out nicely.

**Kim13:** Harry has spent way too much time in there for now. Sorry for the wait.

**Illucia** Harry would maintain his memories either way, but he would still have to grow up. As a human, the memories would not necessarily be as clear. His animagus form definitely has something to do with it.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/n: **Do you believe that I'm updating? For some reason, won't load the address of the yahoogroup correctly, so go to my author's page where the link is if you wanted it but couldn't find it. Once again, thank you to my beta reader Chava, who was instrumental in getting this thing posted. Now, on with the show!

**Harry Potter and the Prophecy of the Phoenix- Chapter 16**

Time seemed to slow so much that an eternity or two seemed to pass before the sun finally managed to peak into the horizon and the rest of Harry's dorm mates began to become restless with the knowledge that it was time to arise from their peaceful slumbers.

Falling victim to an interesting dichotomy, Harry had found himself too exhausted to get up from his bed after the horrible vision, but he had been too alert to even fall back into a doze. Any time that he had come close, his mind would immediately wander to the fact that Neville was blissfully unaware that his life was about to be flipped upside-down. This thought would cause his heart to beat painfully loud and fast in his chest, chasing away any wanderings into his subconscious.

Even though he had been awake for hours, he was the last to drag himself out of bed, and he found that he was oddly stiff and that his robes seemed almost-unbearably heavy.

He was vaguely aware that even though the others were beginning to leave, Neville was running late as usual.

Momentarily forgetting about the other events from the night before, he called out Ron's name.

Ron was either not ready or unwilling to talk, and strode out of the dorm as if he had not heard Harry.

Harry sighed with a mixture of regret and annoyance before addressing another member of his dorm.

"Dean, could you tell Hermione not to wait for me to go to breakfast and that she'll understand shortly."

Dean frowned quizzically but consented without argument, and soon Neville and Harry were the only occupants of the room.

Somehow, Harry's legs managed to carry him over to Neville, who was frantically searching through his things and tossing various items aside as if in a panic.

"What are you doing, Neville?"

Neville was too preoccupied with his task to notice the strangeness in Harry's voice.

"I can't find my Potions essay. I know that I put it somewhere. It took my forever to do, and we have Potions first thing."

"_Accio_ Neville's essay."

A roll of parchment flew from under Neville's bed into Harry's hand. Harry allowed himself a brief moment of pleasure both at simply being allowed to use his wand as well as performing the spell flawlessly.

Neville's cheeks colored as he had not even considered using magic to aid him, and he reached for his essay gratefully.

"Thanks, Harry. Snape would have killed me if I didn't turn it in."

Harry just managed to hide a wince at Neville's choice of words and knew that he could not stall any longer.

"Neville-" It was the only word that Harry could choke out before his vocal cords were paralyzed.

Neville had already taken a couple steps toward the door, figuring that he could just squeeze in breakfast without being late to class, but he turned back at the sound of his name. He had been so distracted by his missing essay that although he had looked at his fellow Gryffindor, he had not seen that something was obviously wrong. A shiver of foreboding traveled down his spine.

"Harry, are you all right?"

Neville admitted to himself a split second later that it was a stupid question. Harry was obviously not all right, but the answer Neville received alarmed him nonetheless.

"No."

"Do you need me to get Professor Dumbledore or Madam Pomfrey?"

"No."

Harry was beginning to believe once again that the Sorting Hat had placed him in the wrong house. He could not seem to work up the courage to tell Neville what had happened.

"What's going on, Harry?"

Harry's mind flashed suddenly to the image of Neville's picture self banging desperately against the glass of the frame, and a sudden surge of determination filled him.

"Neville, your parents were killed last night. I'm so sorry."

Neville did not speak at first, clearly in shock, and Harry berated himself immediately for being too abrupt.

Harry was startled out of his self recriminations by Neville erupting with anger. Backing away from Harry he hissed, "You're lying. You couldn't possibly know that."

Genuine sadness glittered from within the emerald eyes as Harry spoke at a barely audible decibel, "I wouldn't lie to you, Neville, especially about that."

Neville stared at Harry for a moment, the anger faded suddenly as Neville realized the significance of Harry's words and then sunk onto the bed as if the bones in his leg had been removed.

An uneasy silence filled the room with Neville unable to speak and Harry feeling that anything that he could say would be intrusive.

Finally, Neville met Harry's eyes again and managed the word, "How?"

Taking the question as an invitation, Harry sat beside him on the bed, uncertain that his own legs would be useful for much longer.

"Are you sure that you want to know?" Harry questioned softly, choosing to interpret the question as Neville wanting to know how his parents had died instead of how Harry had known that his parents had died.

Neville nodded mutely in response.

Thinking that it was the least he could do, Harry told Neville everything, leaving out only the vision of Bellatrix and Voldemort and the actions of Neville's picture counterpart.

Neville was studying his hands when Harry had finished as if they were the most impressive things to have ever existed.

"Do you want to hear something horrible?" Neville paused, but did not wait to receive an answer. "I used to hate visiting them. My gran used to force me to go every holiday, but they didn't even know me. I thought that it would be better if they were dead, that it would be easier."

Harry could see the pain and the guilt in Neville's eyes, and he felt a surge of empathy toward his peer's situation. However, before Harry could put voice to any number of thoughts that were screaming through his skull, McGonagall entered the dormitory.

"Mr. Longbottom-" The rest of her statement was cut short as soon as she saw the tears glittering vividly in Neville's eyes, waiting to leak down his cheeks as soon as the shock had worn off.

In the short moment that it took for her to compose herself, she noted Harry's presence and deduced what had occurred.

"Mr. Longbottom, Professor Dumbledore has requested your presence immediately. Mr. Potter, perhaps you should come as well."

"No." Harry voiced softly but firmly. Right now, he knew that Neville needed all the help that the headmaster could give him, and he would not deprive Neville of that need by dividing the headmaster's attention.

McGonagall had cocked an eyebrow in surprise, and Harry knew that she was going to need more than a flat denial.

"Would you please tell him that I'll come by his office after classes?"

He pleaded with her silently to understand, and it was to his great relief that she nodded.

"Come along then, Neville."

Neville stood, albeit shakily, and Harry acting on pure impulse reached out to put a hand on his shoulder and blurted, "Neville, if you need anything…"

"Thanks." The response was automatic and distracted as he walked dazedly to join McGonagall.

Harry found that he could not rise until the pair had completely exited the room, and when he finally did, his legs almost collapsed from under him.

He steadied himself on the bed, both wanting and fighting the exhaustion ready to lead him to the realm of oblivion.

It was then that Harry's eyes fell upon Neville's essay, the one that had seemed so important to him not too long ago.

Before he knew it, the essay was in his hands, and Harry was on his way to Potions, steeling himself for Snape's reaction to his inevitable tardiness.

It was years of practice that allowed Snape to preserve the look of disdain on his features as he eyed to pair of empty chairs that should have been occupied by a pair of Gryffindors.

He allowed himself to bathe in an anger directed towards himself for ever entertaining the misguided notion that joining Voldemort would lead him to greatness. It was this anger that crept into his voice as he spoke.

"Well, it appears that Potter has decided not to grace us with his presence this morning. Contrary to his opinion of his own importance, we will continue with the lesson without him."

Snape was well aware that the statement was overly harsh, especially since he was almost certain that Harry's absence was related to Neville's. In fact, he felt a sort of relief that both boys were obviously in Dumbledore's capable hands, but he knew that some sort of condescending, arrogant statement was expected at the very least from Draco Malfoy. Considering his father's rank in the Death Eaters, Snape had to be very careful to preserve his cover in the young man's presence.

He had already taken a great chance by reporting to the headmaster that Malfoy had been responsible for the curse that had knocked Harry off his broom. Thankfully, Malfoy had assumed that Potter himself had reported the incident, and for the moment Snape was safe.

Judging from the equally furious expressions from the present members of the "golden trio" and the arrogant smirk on Malfoy's face, he had been successful distracting the class from noticing that he had neglected to berate Neville for his absence.

Even though he had earned the reputation of being a cruel, greasy git, he was not a monster and would not use a boy's newly dead parents as an insult.

_"You just wait for them to be dead for a few years then because you've used Potter's parents against him several times," _a voice in his head mocked.

_"Shut up. That's different." _Snape argued a little half-heartedly.

_"Is it?"_

Choosing to ignore the voice, Snape began his instructions and had just finished them when Harry entered the classroom.

"So, Potter, you finally decided that my class would be worth your time this morning."

Harry would not raise his eyes and mumbled an, "I'm sorry sir," that was just audible.

"Ten points from Gryffindor, and you'll meet me down here tonight for detention."

Startled green eyes met his, but Harry seemed to be the only one who had noticed the abnormally low point deduction.

"Yes, sir." Harry replied as he took a seat at an unoccupied table with a meekness that Snape knew was an act.

The fact that Harry's movements had a lethargic quality did not escape Snape's notice, and he was half-tempted to order him to the hospital wing. However, that certainly was not an option if he wanted to keep his cover intact.

Maybe lady luck would smile upon him and have Harry's potion blow up in his face so that he would have no choice but to send the boy to the hospital wing. Harry did seem distracted enough to make such an error, and he had not had the benefit of Snape's instructions.

He spun sharply and stalked over to his desk, knowing that it would not be that easy. After all, Harry was supposed to be with Dumbledore and definitely not in Snape's classroom. Why the boy had chosen to come to class instead of being where he should be was beyond him.

The reason struck him like a bolt of lightning, and it was all he could do not to curse Harry's stupid Gryffindor qualities aloud. He was self-sacrificing to a fault, and Snape was certain that Boy-Who-Lived or not, that would be what finally killed him.

_"But he already knows that. He's said it to you before."_

With a low growl, Snape forced himself to concentrate on the essay in front of him.

Harry blinked at the potion bubbling in front of him and realized that he only knew one thing about it.

It was quite pink.

What exactly it was, how he made it, or if it was even supposed to be pink, he did not know, but it was definitely pink.

"Well, Potter, would you kindly give us a demonstration."

It was obvious that Snape's unctuous words were not a request, so Harry obligingly dipped a vial into the potion and hoped that pink was good.

He took it in one gulp, and his world exploded. The inside of him felt like it was going to burn its way out through the skin, and he was vaguely aware of smoke pouring out of his eyes, nose, mouth, and ears.

In that moment, any thoughts about changing his mind about Snape vanished. The greasy git had poisoned him.

It did not matter in that moment that he had been the one who had brewed the potion.

A coughing spell brought him back into reality, and he could see the smirk twisting itself around Snape's lips.

"The smoke was a couple shades too blue. Five points from Gryffindor."

Harry could not respond even if he had wanted to. He was still coughing up smoke, and his eyes were still stinging and watering.

However, from Snape's nit-picking remark, it appeared that pink had been good.

He also felt… better, more alert, like the exhaustion he had battled and nearly fallen to in defeat had never been an issue.

Immediately he felt a twinge of guilt at assuming the worst in Snape's intentions, but it was only a twinge. The experience of the potion had not been especially pleasant, and Harry was certain that Snape did not regret that fact in the least.

He packed his things away, planning on questioning Hermione about what he had taken as soon as they were out of the classroom.

Being as unobtrusive as possible, Harry approached Snape's desk and slipped the two scrolls on the desk.

"Stay, Potter."

Harry stopped his retreat, feeling his stomach drop with a feeling of foreboding.

Snape shot a glare at the stragglers, including Hermione, and they made their way from the classroom post haste.

"Energizing Elixir."

"What?" Harry blurted before he could stop himself.

The smirk returned to Snape's lips, "The potion you just ingested. It's called Energizing Elixir. It's a stronger variant of Pepper Up Potion, but when it wears off, you will feel worse than before."

Harry gaped at the man, not knowing how to respond.

"I suggest that you get going or you will be tardy for your next class as well. I'll see you tonight for detention."

Harry rushed out, relieved. That was by far the strangest encounter that he had experienced with Snape yet.

Harry stormed toward Dumbledore's office more furious than he had ever been in his life, and he was severely regretting not cursing Professor Trelawney while he had the chance. What the old bat had said had been completely out of line. Even _Snape_ had not been so insensitive.

He wanted to scream, wanted to blow something up, wanted to do _something._

Instead, the fury was festering inside of him, manifesting itself as a chaotic flashing behind his eyes and an unhealthy shade of crimson coloring his features.

When he burst into Dumbledore's office, the elder wizard looked up at him in surprise.

"Harry, I wasn't expecting to see you for at least an hour yet. Shouldn't you be in Divination?"

The mention of the subject resulted in a renewed surged of anger, and if Fawkes had not landed on Harry's shoulder at that moment, it was quite possible that Harry would have lost control magically and emotionally.

Dumbledore waited patiently while Harry took a moment to collect himself.

Harry's voice had the timbre of forced control when he finally spoke, "I couldn't stay in Divination. My sticks showed that a great disaster would strike if I did."

The corners of Dumbledore's lips twitched. "Did they really?"

Harry shrugged, frustrated that Dumbledore appeared to be finding humor in a situation that was definitely _not_ funny, "Professor Trelawney agreed. If they didn't, they should have."

"I see. Why don't you sit down and tell me what happened."

A few moments ago, sitting would have been intolerable. His emotional levels had been too high to endure being confined to a seated position.

However, he could feel the phoenix's magic inside of him, slowly assuaging the anger despite its deep roots.

He sat begrudgingly, trying to put together the words correctly to properly convey the severity of what had happened.

"Harry?" Dumbledore prompted, watching in amazement the story that was flickering across the young man's eyes.

"Professor Trelawney."

He bit out the words as his anger surged, silencing any other comments that would have followed.

Dumbledore nodded calmly, hiding a sinking feeling that he knew where the conversation was heading.

"Professor Trelawney had the nerve to tell the class that she had seen what happened to Neville's parents but couldn't do anything because her inner eye had also shown her that it was meant to happen and made a big deal about her inner eye being such a burden."

Harry broke off his tirade, but before Dumbledore could formulate a response, something else in Harry burst.

"I wish that she _would_ have seen it. Then she would know that predictions of deaths and disasters should not be used just to make Divination more exciting. It's not a game, and she shouldn't treat it like one!"

Tears threatened to break from his eyes, and he was not exactly sure where they had come from. It seemed that the waning anger was giving way to feelings of despair and helplessness.

Fawkes trilled several notes, and Harry felt some of the tenseness melt from his body as a warm blanket seemed to settle inside of him.

Dumbledore felt a surge of empathy for the younger man as he realized that Harry's anger was not just because Trelawney had abused her power but because that abuse of power had hit so close to home.

"I will have a discussion with Professor Trelawney about having more discretion with what she _sees_."

There was a tone in the headmaster's voice that promised the conversation would not be a pleasant one.

"Now, I believe that we have some other unpleasant business to deal with."

Harry nodded reluctantly and gave him the details of the dream and the vision within the dream. Somewhere in the deep recesses of his mind, he noticed that his tongue seemed to feel heavier the further he went into the description.

"Harry," Dumbledore spoke gently when he had finished, "do you remember the discussion we had about playing the hero? It was not your responsibility to inform Mr. Longbottom about his parent's untimely demise."

"Is Neville all right, sir?"

Dumbledore sighed inwardly.

"His grandmother came to get him this morning. He'll be back when he's ready, but I need you to understand that you don't need to bear burdens that don't belong to you."

"But it did. I saw exactly what happened. I had to tell him. He deserved at least that much."

Harry's words were now starting to slur, and Dumbledore narrowed his eyes critically observing him.

"Harry, are you all right?"

Harry nodded, but his head felt entirely too heavy even though it was beginning to feel as if it was filled with cotton.

It was actually a nice feeling. He was feeling warm and relaxed, and he knew that he was not far from slipping into a peaceful sleep.

The vestiges of slumber that had begun to take hold were pushed violently aside. He would not give in to his body's weakness in the headmaster's office.

"Thanks, Fawkes, but I think that it's time to get off now."

Fawkes trilled a couple notes in dissent, and Harry could feel the influence of the phoenix's magic grow inside of him again.

"Professor-"

Dumbledore had to work hard to suppress the smile that wanted to assert itself at the petulance in Harry's tone. It was almost as if Harry was tattling on the phoenix.

Having pity on Harry, Dumbledore rose to help him.

"Come on, Fawkes. That's enough now."

Dumbledore's proffered arm was pulled back in surprise as Fawkes responded with a hiss that would have made any feral cat proud.

"Well, it appears that I've been overruled."

Although Harry could not see the smile that had finally broken onto Dumbledore's face through his heavy eyelids that had somehow dropped over his eyes, he could hear it in the latter's voice.

His last thought before he descended into a blissful state of unawareness was that Dumbledore really had a strange sense of humor.

It was only a few hours later that Dumbledore approached Harry's slumbering form that had been comfortably tucked into a transfigured bed in the corner of his office.

Fawkes had curled up into a ball on Harry's stomach, and looked up questioningly at Dumbledore's presence.

"Fawkes, it's time for Harry to wake up now."

Fawkes looked at him defiantly and let out a few squawks of argument.

In complete contrast to his earlier response, Dumbledore appeared anything but amused. Raising an eyebrow, he responded sternly, "I understand and agree that Harry needs to sleep, but he also needs to eat. He's skipped breakfast and lunch today, and I will not allow him to miss dinner as well."

Fawkes flew to his perch at the implied command but continued to make noises similar to a human muttering under his breath the entire time.

Ignoring the disgruntled phoenix, Dumbledore called out to Harry in an attempt to wake him, and when Harry did not stir, he called out to him a second time a little louder.

This time Harry did stir. His face crinkled up as if wincing against the intrusion, and he pulled his covers closer as if clinging to the sleep itself.

The reaction was just so normal that Dumbledore seriously considered just letting him sleep, if only to allow Harry to hold onto that normalcy for a few moments longer, but the fact remained that Harry had to eat.

He called to Harry again, and this time, Harry's eyes blinked open.

Harry blinked a couple times in disorientation before his brain properly interpreted Dumbledore as being the figure beside him. A rush of embarrassment shot through him as he shot up in the bed.

Ignoring the dizziness that accompanied the action, he stared to stammer out an apology.

Dumbledore held up a hand to stop him. "There's no need for an apology. It was really quite amazing. I don't believe that I've seen Fawkes so protective of anyone other than me and perhaps not even me."

A flush burned through Harry's cheeks as his mind fished frantically for an appropriate response. He was saved from such a response as Dumbledore changed the subject completely.

"I believe that we're due in the Great Hall for dinner. I'm sure that your friends are worried."

When Harry stood, the world twisted violently around him, and he would have collapsed back onto the bed if not for the firm grasp on his shoulders.

"Harry?"

The world oriented itself though it seemed to tremble in the outskirts of his vision.

"I'm all right. The potion must have worn off."

"What potion." Dumbledore still had a grip on him, not liking the pallor that had taken over Harry's face when he had stood.

"Energizing Elixir. We brewed it in Potions, and Professor Snape had me demonstrate."

The dancing of Dumbledore's eyes was wild enough to make Harry dizzy.

"Indeed. Well, then I'll have to insist that you go to bed immediately after dinner."

"I can't. I have detention with Professor Snape tonight."

"Your detention will be rearranged. Don't fret. Professor Snape will understand since he is partly responsible for why you will be unable to make it. Do you feel up to eating in the Great Hall? Because if you're not, we could eat here."

Harry almost took him up on his offer. He could avoid the inevitable gossip for a little while longer, but eating alone with Dumbledore meant that he would be under the headmaster's scrutiny throughout the meal.

The truth was that even though he had not eaten all day, he was not especially hungry, and he knew that he would not get away with eating meager portions in Dumbledore's company.

"I'll be okay in the Great Hall."

Dumbledore looked doubtful but released his grip on him. "All right, but I want you to promise to go straight to bed afterwards."

Fawkes chimed in a couple of notes of agreement.

"I don't think that's going to be a problem." Harry promised before he was interrupted by a yawn.

"Potter, Weasley, my office now." McGonagall ordered crisply, breaking the uneasy silence that had permeated the trio's dinner and had extended to the walk back to Gryffindor Tower.

From the clipped tone in her voice and the disapproving scowl on her face, Harry correctly deduced that arguing the point that he was supposed to go straight to bed would not be in his best interest.

However, he could not figure out what they had done to earn their Head of House's ire. Certainly she could not be this upset over their fight, especially since they had taken the first steps towards a resolution with Ron choosing to sit with them at dinner, and he could not think of any school rules that they had broken recently.

He shot Hermione a combined apologetic and confused look before he and Ron dutifully followed McGonagall to her office.

"Have a seat."

It was an order, not an invitation, and both sat obediently.

"What the two of you pulled today was completely unacceptable. I know that you were not the only two involved, but it was the two of you who instigated the whole ordeal."

Harry's mind whirled but could only churn out the question: what was she talking about?

"Staging a walk-out on a professor in inexcusable, no matter your intentions."

"What?" Harry blurted, whipping his gaze to Ron and not finding the equally confused expression that he had expected to see.

"Harry had nothing to do with it, Professor. It was my fault."

"Indeed, I have it on good authority that he was the one who started the whole thing."

Technically, Ron found that he could not argue and did not. Harry had in fact been the first to leave Divination and had supplied him with the idea of how of get out of class.

"However, you will not be punished this time. I've spoken with Professor Dumbledore, and what Professor Trelawney did today was equally unacceptable, not to mention that she sought me out to congratulate me on the progress my students were making in her class. She was quite impressed with the accuracy of your readings this afternoon. You took advantage of her today, and it will not happen again, understood?"

"Yes, professor," both responded mechanically.

"Good." The sternness faded a bit from her face. "I want you to know that I understand and appreciate what you were trying to do, and I know that Mr. Longbottom is going to need the continued support of his house. I know that I can count on all of you to do that."

Again, both affirmed her statement, and Harry was sure that he heard a bit of pride leak out in her last comments.

"That will be all, gentlemen."

Harry managed to get walk outside and part of the way down the corridor before his surroundings began to dance around him again. He stopped to lean against the wall and close his eyes, just wanting to steady himself enough so that he could make it to his bed where he could collapse in peace.

"Harry?"

It was the first word Ron had spoken to him all day, but Harry could not help but wish that Ron was not there to see this weakness.

"It's all right, Ron. The potion's just worn off from this morning."

Ron muttered an insult against Snape that did not quite breach the fog in Harry's brain before moving his arm around Harry so that he could support him.

"Do you think you could tell me why we just got yelled at?" Harry questioned as they started once again towards Gryffindor Tower.

"Parvati and Lavender were the only two that actually had Divination today. The rest of our sticks had terrible premonitions, and we had to leave immediately. Mine said that I was coming down with a terrible illness and had to see Madam Pomfrey immediately. The crazy old bat had no right to say that about Neville's parents."

Harry knew without Ron telling him that Ron had been the next to leave and that the others had followed.

Thankfully, they had reached the portrait of the Fat Lady. Before Harry could pull the password up from the dredges of his brain, Ron had spoken it, and the two of them were on the way to their dormitory.

"Harry?" Hermione spoke, rushing to them.

"He's fine, Hermione. The potion Snape made him take wore off. I'm taking him to bed."

Harry's spirits sank. Ron had seemed almost normal for those last few minutes, but his voice had taken on a hardened edge again.

Still, Ron helped him up to the dormitory and to his bed where Harry gratefully swapped his robes for his sleeping attire. He climbed beneath the cover, but before he fell into the oblivion that awaited him, he managed, "Ron, I'm sorry."

"You owe me an explanation."

"I know."

He slipped from awareness, knowing that even if he had wanted to put up a fight, he would not have been able to.

Harry awoke to the sound of the phoenix song in his head, and the words, "You've got to be kidding me," actually left his mouth before he could stop them.

Luckily, it seemed that his outburst had not disturbed anyone.

Harry sighed quietly and tried to silence his mental vituperations against his being disturbed once again. After all, something terrible must have happened if they were being summoned now when it was not a normal meeting date and it was a few hours later than they usually met.

He should just be thankful that he had not seen anything this time.

The ease with which he slipped out and headed towards the chamber seemed to indicate that he had done this entirely too often.

When he entered the Phoenix Chamber, he found it unoccupied except for Fawkes, who was waiting for him on the perch.

_"What's going on? Where is everyone?"_

_"You're the only one who was called tonight, Harry?"_

_"What? Why?"_

Resentment at being rudely awakened was stirring inside him, especially since Fawkes had forced him into slumber only hours before.

_"I'm sorry, Harry. I gave you all the time that I could, but time is quickly running out."_

Fawkes sounded sincerely apologetic, but Harry's irritation was still growing.

_"Time is running out for what?"_

_"Harry, do remember me telling you that you had much to learn about your animagus form? You'll need to learn if you are to succeed in your plans to return."_

Harry was not quite ready to be placated.

_"Why haven't you taught me before now?"_

_"You weren't ready before. You are now. Will you let me teach you?"_

Resignation finally replaced his irritation.

_"I don't have a choice, do I?"_

_"Of course you have a choice, but you only have one good one."_

If birds had been capable of smiling, Harry was sure that a small, knowing smile, not unlike the one that graced Dumbledore's face from time to time, would have crept onto the phoenix's face.

_"All right, where do we start?"_

_"We start by ignoring anything about magic you ever learned as a wizard. While magic itself does not differ between our two species the way that it is viewed and the way that it is used is quite different. Humans see magic as something extra, something outside of being defined as human, but for phoenixes, magic is an integral part of our very essence. Without it, we would cease to exist. As a wizard, you were taught spells and use a wand, all strategies to separate your identity from your magic. As a phoenix, you must see how the magic works within yourself in order to use it. You'll find that this philosophy will aid your in your wandless magic endeavors as well."_

Fawkes paused for a moment to see if Harry was still following.

_"I must warn you that the process is difficult and may take a while. Frustration in this case will only impede your progress. Now, close your eyes, and we'll begin."_

Difficult was a severe understatement Harry found after trying to visualize his magic for a couple of hours and failing, and though he did not want to end the lesson in defeat, he had to return to Gryffindor Tower before he was missed.

He stopped short when he saw a figure sobbing at the foot of the Fat Lady's portrait. Quickly, he consulted the Marauder's Map and found that the other dot right outside the Gryffindor Tower was labeled "Neville Longbottom."

He pulled off his invisibility cloak and approached Neville, his heart aching in empathy for the other young man.

"Neville, what are you doing here?" Harry asked gently.

"I couldn't take it out there anymore. There was nothing to do but listen to people telling me how sorry they were and about how my parents were so incredible before they were cursed. At least here there's work that I can do. I flooed back as soon as I could this morning."

"But why are you out here?"

"I couldn't remember the password, and she wouldn't let me in. I just-"

Neville could not finish, but Harry understood. He reached out a hand to help Neville up and then spoke the password to allow them both entrance.

Neville collapsed gratefully onto a couch in the common room, and Harry sat beside him.

"Harry, you said that if I needed anything, I could come to you?"

"Of course."

"I want you to teach me to do a patronus."

Harry did not know why Neville had chosen that particular spell, but he could see that whatever the reasons were, learning the spell was very important to Neville. He could see it quite plainly in the other's face, and he would not deny him something that he found so important.

"I'll do my best, but I'm not a teacher. I can't promise you anything."

"Thanks." Neville sighed. "I'm going to go get ready for class. I want to get to breakfast early."

Harry understood his reasons all too well. If Neville could make it to breakfast early enough, he could avoid the large crowds and the majority of the gossip and whispering.

He leaned back into the couch, actually feeling a bit better that there was something that he could do to help Neville when Hermione's voice broke through the silence.

"Harry James Potter! What are you doing up so early!"

**A/N:** Well, the chapter was extra long. The next chapter will come out when it comes out, but hopefully it won't take as long. Now for the reviewers:

Thanks to: **athenakitty****, BoodRedSword, fiddy, Haunting Darkness, Illucia, Iniysa, krazymelmo5385, KuTiExAzNxAnGeL, Maxx77, Mella deRanged, mickeymoose, ocpawnmaster1, okonic, ranger2, Rocky235, sasinak, shadowsylvia, slycat-blaze11, stayblue, tia, Twinlakeshgrl, venus2438, Victoria (Vky)**

**Wrentruesong****-** Thanks for the real life attitude. I look forward to hearing from you again.

**oasis-**He does suffer a lot, but it's not too much is it?

**Melindaleo****-** Yes, I will still post here, but the chapters will also be in the yahoogroup. Harry has to die, but he doesn't have to stay that way. Please continue to read.

**Spirit Mornea-** Thank you though I don't see how it's like OOtP. Sorry to keep you waiting.

**Von- **Yes, you did leave two reviews, but I don't mind a bit! I thought about the clothes, but I didn't want to go there. The revelations will be fun though.

**Jenelf****-** I'm sorry about the mistake in your name. Harry can't tell Dumbledore because Hogwarts has ears, and complete secrecy is needed. As for Neville's parents, I still don't know why it happened…

**Duende****-** Do not apologize for your English! It's very good, and it's just amazing to me that someone in Spain is reading this. That's just too cool.

**Chibi-bex****-** You won't figure out what's going to happen to the walls until the sequel... sorry. As for the pink flamingo prank, I'll see if I can fit it in. Are there flamingos in England?

**Shapeshifter****-** Med school is hard, but it's worth it. I have read your fic, but I need not to be lazy and actually review it. I'm sorry. I promise that I will.

**Lily Skylo-** Yes, poor Sirius. He will get his revenge for the invisible hair, and I agree that the room design technique is very convenient.

**Thundering Light-** Okay, I take it back. I'll try not to second-guess myself. Thanks.

**zorrox****-**Yes, but he gets into trouble when he tries to be too strong. Please no stalking. I'm doing the best I can, but the story will continue. I promise.

**EriEka127-** The last part… Well, Harry saw Neville's parents being killed by Bellatrix, who was given the prililege of killing them by Voldemort.

**gaul1- I'm** not telling…

**charliepotter1-** The next chapter will not be so depressing… I promise!

**kateydidnt****-** My poor muse. It does not enjoy your torment. I thought about the letter, but it would seal again when Harry is reborn, so that wouldn't do Harry any good. Who says that it will actually take a couple of months? I could have more tricks up my sleeve. Both Harry and Albus are carrying burdens that they don't necessarily need, but they can't seem to give them up can they. By the way, it's your turn again!

**HermioneGreen****-** Harry will not tell Dumbledore. It would ruin the story.

**baasheep****- **Did I know before that you lived in England? That's so cool. It's amazing to me how many people are reading this. You're absolutely right. There is a reason why Harry was able to get as far as he did for the stag transformation, and it will be explained later. Forgive me this time too?

**Arizosa****-** I'm glad to be back. Yes, but Dumbledore doesn't know that. He's trying to protect Harry, and Ron was being… Ron.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/n:** Look everyone… it's not four months later! I think you'll find that this chapter has a different tone to it, and I hope that you enjoy it. Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I can't believe that the number is almost up to 500. You guys are too kind.

Also, thanks of course go to my amazing beta reader! You're the best!

This chapter is dedicated to Von, who gave me a "happiness" idea way earlier in the story.

**Harry Potter and the Prophecy of the Phoenix – Chapter 17**

_"Expecto patronum!"_

Two months of frustration, hard work, and small successes finally culminated into this single moment.

The amorphous silver energy emanating from Neville's wand coalesced into a large silver lion that took a lap around the empty classroom before returning to the wand.

"I did it." Neville whispered in utter disbelief, staring at the tip of his wand as if it had played some sort of marvelous practical joke on him.

Smiling widely and genuinely, Harry was about to congratulate his peer on his accomplishment when the sound of a throat clearing caused both of them to turn towards the doorway where McGonagall was standing with her arms folded in displeasure.

"I would have expected fifth year Gryffindors to know that classrooms are off limits after hours."

Harry felt his face grow warm in response to the rush of guilt that hit suddenly at her words. It had been his idea entirely to use the empty classroom, despite Neville's protestations that they would get into trouble if they were found.

They had tried working in the Gryffindor Common Room all of once before Harry realized that Neville was simply too nervous to make any progress in so public a location.

Though Neville had remained self-conscious, the difference in the level of his nerves was remarkable without the pressure of being in the presence of his housemates. With every small success, Neville had begun to relax a little more in Harry's presence.

Harry suspected that Neville was waiting for Harry to give up on him, to tell him that he was foolish to even attempt such a complicated spell, and it was not until Neville realized that the rebuke was not coming that he had begun to make real progress.

Even though they were now facing McGonagall's displeasure, Harry did not regret his decision to use the classroom. He would not have been able to help Neville if they had stayed where they were supposed to, and it had been a risk worth taking.

"I'm sorry, Professor. We were just-"

McGonagall cut Harry's statement off. "Yes, I saw what the two of you were doing. That will be ten points from Gryffindor for being in an area that's off-limits."

Then a hint of a smile broke through the stern façade, and Harry had a strange sensation of déjà vu, remembering the incident with the troll in his first year.

"And thirty points to Gryffindor for that amazing patronus. Now, I suggest that the two of you return to your dormitory."

Both agreed and exited quickly, Neville's face flushed with pleasure and embarrassment.

Harry had never felt so grateful towards his head of house. She had punished both of them but had only rewarded Neville, and he desperately needed the boost of self-esteem.

Neville had been unable to take credit for his advances despite Harry's refusal to take credit either. The former had been told for so long that he was just barely above the level of the squib that he could not accept responsibility for his successes.

Thus, Neville Longbottom had fallen victim to a self-fulfilled prophesy, barely achieving anything except in the area of Herbology, which required very little magical talent.

Paradoxically, Harry saw no problem with his own refusal to take credit for his part in the endeavor. After all, he had not actually done anything. He had mostly been there as a source of encouragement. Neville was the one who had produced the patronus after months of hard work.

It was Harry's inability to see that his role had been crucial to Neville's success that had blinded him to the fact that McGonagall's reward of points had been inclusive just like her deduction of points.

McGonagall watched the retreating backs of her students long enough to affirm that they were heading back to their dormitory before heading towards the headmaster's office.

Dumbledore looked up from his small mountain of paperwork when she walked in, and after taking in her countenance, his eyes seemed to become alive with mirth.

"Professor McGonagall, what brings you here at this late hour? Do we have a meeting that I've forgotten?"

"No," she responded primly, wondering where Dumbledore was heading with his statements.

"Well, then could you please tell me why you look like the cat who just ate the canary?"

Only years of exposure to Dumbledore's strange sense of humor kept her from groaning out loud at the obvious pun aimed at her animagus form. Instead, she responded as if his statement had been nothing out of the ordinary.

"I just caught Potter and Longbottom in an empty classroom."

"Indeed?" Dumbledore was amusing himself with the fight McGonagall was having with her lips. The corners were twitching up and down as she was fighting the urge to smile.

"And Longbottom has succeeded in producing a full-fledged corporeal patronus, a lion nonetheless."

Dumbledore had no problem allowing his smile to take over his features, "I've long suspected that we've underestimated Neville Longbottom, and I don't think that he'll be able to question his house placement any longer. You weren't too hard on them were you?"

"Ten points taken for being where they shouldn't and thirty added for the patronus."

"You know, Minerva, it quite defeats the purpose of taking away points if you compensate for the lost points with the added points."

"I don't know what you mean, Albus." McGonagall responded, trying not to let the guilty expression cross her features. She had in fact added thirty points so that a total of twenty points would be added to Gryffindor house, the point value she had wanted to award in the first place.

"I'm sure that you don't."

"I believe that a letter to Longbottom's grandmother might be in order, to inform her of his behavior tonight."

"Why, Professor McGonagall, I believe that you're meddling."

"I can't imagine where I learned that." She responded with mock-sarcasm to his teasing.

"I have no idea, but you should be careful. It's a nasty habit."

This time the smile completely broke from her features, "Good night, Albus. Get some sleep. The paperwork will still be here in the morning."

Dumbledore's face fell, "I was hoping that no one would notice if it magically disappeared."

Harry entered Dumbledore's office the following day for his lessons on magical control, or as Harry had dubbed them: tortures in wandless magic, only to find himself wishing that he could leave immediately.

Dumbledore had greeted him with a grin that was frighteningly similar to the grins that would alight upon the Weasley twins' faces when they were on the verge of revealing a new concoction of mischief.

Harry was certain that no good could come from that grin on Dumbledore's face.

"Good afternoon, Harry. Before we get started, there's something that I would like to discuss with you. Have a seat."

Against his better judgment, Harry followed his headmaster's instructions and sat.

"Professor McGonagall came to see me last night, and she had something interesting to report. I assume that you know what I'm talking about."

Harry nodded, looking suitably chagrined.

"You have quite a talent for teaching."

Harry stared at Dumbledore unblinkingly as if finally coming to the conclusion that the latter had completely lost his mind.

"What?"

"I'm sure that you realize that Mr. Longbottom has been barely coasting through most of his classes at Hogwarts, yet under your tutelage he has managed to cast a spell that some fully trained wizards are incapable of casting.

Harry shook his head. "I didn't do anything. Neville was the one who pushed himself. I was just there for support."

"Harry, what do you think teaching is?"

Dumbledore took advantage of Harry gaping at him without managing to find an appropriate response to pull out a lemon drop from his desk.

Harry winced instinctively at the appearance. He was still at an impasse with the levitation spell. Even though the lessons had grown to include other spells, met with varying rates of success, Dumbledore insisted that they have at least one attempt at the levitation spell to start each session.

He stood without argument, knowing that if he just got it over with, he would be able to move on to other things.

Closing his eyes briefly in an effort to alleviate the frustration that was becoming innately associated with the spell, he felt himself slip into some sort of strange calm.

His eyes opened, and suddenly, what Fawkes had been trying to tell him for the last two months made sense.

He reached out towards the lemon drop with his arm and then extended his magic through his arm as if it was a part of his appendage. When his magic had wrapped around the lemon drop like a fist, he raised his newfound appendage.

The lemon drop rose as if effortlessly, and Harry felt a smile turn on his lips.

Dumbledore looked delighted, as if Christmas had come extremely early and he was five again.

"Good, Harry. Now see if you can summon it."

Still keeping a firm grasp on the lemon drop, he began to pull the magical appendage back into his arm.

When the lemon drop had made it halfway to him, Harry began to feel very tired, and the lemon drop trembled slightly. Through sheer determination alone, Harry pulled the lemon drop to him the rest of the way, despite the fact that his own arm was shaking almost as badly as the candy when it was finally in his grasp.

A sigh of relief left him before he could stop it. Though he felt fatigued, it was a pleasant fatigue, one born from an accomplished exertion instead of impending exhaustion.

Fawkes let out a string of notes, and Harry could feel joy and pride seeping in through his skin.

Finally, he had made some real progress, and the sheer relief of that accomplishment lifted a weight from him that he had not realized he was carrying.

"Very well done."

The sparkle in Dumbledore's eyes had either grown or was dancing about so quickly that his eyes almost looked like they were glowing.

Harry's smile deepened while his face colored slightly with embarrassment at his headmaster's praise. Instead of responding, he moved to place the lemon drop back on the desk, but Dumbledore held up a hand to stop him.

"We're done for today. Keep it. I insist."

"Done? But sir-"

"Harry, overexerting yourself will do more harm than good. Go and do something fun for the rest of the time we had scheduled. That means no schoolwork, but would you do me one last favor?"

Every instinct that Harry possessed screamed that he should decline, but for the second time since entering Dumbledore's office, he brushed those feelings aside.

Dumbledore smiled, sensing Harry's acquiescence.

"Try the lemon drop. They're really quite good. It would be quite a shame if you never try one because you got frustrated with them in your lessons."

_This is the same man that likes Cockroach Clusters._ Harry reminded himself, but he popped the piece of candy into mouth.

At once, his senses were overloaded.

Harry decided that whoever had named the candy "lemon drops" either had a sick sense of humor or had a gift for understatement.

A more appropriate name would have been "Super Sour Tongue Twisting Torture" candy.

His eyes had watered to the point that tears were leaking down his face, and if he thought that he could spit out the candy without hurting the headmaster's feelings, he would have done so immediately.

It was a shame that he had managed to destroy so few in his attempts to learn wandless magic.

Then, the sour flavor melted away into something wondrously sweet, a sensation enhanced by the intensely sour flavor that had preceded it.

Dumbledore grinned at him. "See, they're wonderful, aren't they, though I must admit that they have a little kick to them in the beginning."

_A little kick?_

"Now go on, Harry, and enjoy yourself."

As Harry left the office, he realized with a sudden pang that he had no idea what he was supposed to do for fun. Flying would have been the easy option, but the torrential downpour falling from the sky made that an impossible endeavor.

Had he really become that dependent on schoolwork?

After all, he was seriously considering beginning his homework despite Dumbledore's edict. School work was safe. He could isolate himself while keeping up the pretense that he was burying himself in his books for the sake of learning.

Making a rash decision, he decided that he was going to tear both Ron and Hermione away from their homework, knowing that tearing away the latter would be no easy task, and they were going to play Exploding Snap and maybe some Wizard's Chess as they had in first year.

The rift in the trio had basically been healed when he gave Ron the same half-truth he had told everyone else. However, there was still a tension in the group, a hint of suspicion on the parts of Ron and Hermione that there was still something that Harry was holding back from them, and Harry knew that they were keeping a closer eye on him.

Harry shook his head to clear those thoughts from his mind. At least for a little while, the three of them were going to have some carefree fun. They all needed it.

The smile reemerged on Harry's face when a more pleasant thought filled his head.

Maybe if Hermione teamed up with him, it would be possible to beat Ron at Wizard's Chess. Surely with the combined strategy of the two of them, Ron would be outmatched.

With a sparkle in his eye that was quite reminiscent of a certain headmaster, Harry slipped through the entrance to Gryffindor Tower.

It was perhaps the most miserable day of the year.

Mother Nature appeared to have cloaked everything under her control with some drab hue of gray. The temperature was cooler than comfortable, and the gusts of wind sent a biting cold that seemed able to penetrate any and all protective layers, and as if in answer to the unspoken question wondering is things could possibly become drearier, a cold drizzle had begun to leak from the thick cloud covering that had completely dominated the sky.

Harry stood in front of his Quidditch team for the last time, very aware of their eyes watching him eagerly.

He reached inside his pocket to feel the letter that he had received from Sirius that morning wishing him luck in an effort to calm his nerves.

The chasm in his stomach was reduced to a pit, and when he remembered the postscript of the letter, he was able to find his voice.

"It's been a privilege to work with the lot of you this year, some more than others."

He sent a pointed look at the Weasley twins.

"Really no sense of humor…"

"Just because we turned his broom pink one practice."

Harry cleared his throat, and the twins grew silent though they continued to wear masks of innocence.

"Now I know that we could lose the game by twenty points and still win the House Cup, but we've worked too hard for that. Let's show them that this is the best Quidditch team Hogwarts has ever seen, and no matter what they do, play a clean game. Let's show them that we don't need to cheat to win."

He forced on a smile.

"And don't forget to have fun."

While most of the team headed for the pitch, Fred and George approached Harry.

"We have a confession to make…"

Immediately Harry's imagination went into overdrive, conjuring images of the Slytherin team in various animal states or their brooms multiple colors.

"We invited Wood."

"Oliver Wood?"

Harry stared at the two, waiting for them both to crack grins and claim that it was a joke.

"We thought that he might want to see what you've done with the team…"

"After all, you have been writing to him for advice. It was only fair."

The two smiled triumphantly and headed for the pitch, leaving their captain to fight a groan bubbling in his throat. Quickly, he pulled Sirius's letter from his pocket and reread it.

_Harry,_

_This is just a quick note to say good luck. Not that you need it of course. You're the best flier I've ever seen._

_Moony says "hi." We've been fixing up your room. You're absolutely sure that you want _white_ walls? Really, it's not too late to change your mind._

_I want all the details of the game. Don't leave your godfather in suspense for too long._

_Snuffles_

_PS. Don't forget… once you get here, anything's fair game._

The last bit was a reminder of the threat Sirius had commissioned in response to his discovery that his hair had somehow turned invisible.

The first note that Harry had received after the incident claimed that Sirius had wanted to jinx the note, but Lupin had talked him out of it, reasoning that it would draw too much unwanted attention. It continued to inform Harry that as he was sitting duck this summer, unable to use his magic, he had better watch his back because Sirius was bound to regain his Marauder's honor.

What Sirius did not know was that Harry was an investor in a practical jokes company, whose co-owners would be more than honored to donate items to prank the infamous Marauders, their idols.

This was assuming that he was successful in being reborn and all of the complications involved in such a process did not prevent him from spending some of the summer with them.

Immediately, he suppressed that idea. He would deal with that later. Right now he had a Quidditch game to play.

After reapplying a sticking charm to the letter so that it would not fall out of his pocket and casting a spell on his glasses so that they would repel the raindrops, Harry mounted his broom, and flew off to join the rest of his team.

The slight drizzle turned into a steady rain about two minutes into the Quidditch match.

Harry ignored his body's instinct to shiver and circled the pitch with meticulous scrutiny, flying a bit slower than his customary pace. The sooner that he could find the Snitch, the sooner that they could all get out of the cold and the rain.

Ironically, the same conditions that prompted the desire to capture the Snitch sooner also increased the difficulty of actually finding it.

Malfoy was zooming around the field arrogantly as if the reduced visibility of the rain did not matter at all, which only confirmed what Harry had known all along.

Malfoy was an idiot.

"Let her go you slimy Slytherin!"

Lee's voice disrupted Harry concentration, and he quickly glanced over to see one of the Slytherin chasers actually holding onto one of Angelina's arms.

Apparently some of the Slytherins _had_ decided to change their strategy. They had decided that the reduced visibility made it easier to cheat.

Angelina was awarded with a penalty shot and made it easily.

"Good job, Angelina. Way to show those cheaters-"

"Jordan!"

"Sorry Professor." Jordan replied automatically though he did not sound sorry at all. "Gryffindor is now ahead twenty points with a score of thirty to ten."

Almost an hour later, the rain had still not let up, the Snitch had still not made a single appearance, but the Gryffindor team had managed to take a substantial lead with a score of ninety to thirty with about half of their points earned through penalty shots.

Harry's senses went to full alert when Malfoy suddenly took a dive on the other side of the pitch. Though he had not seen anything himself and knew that it could very well be a trick, he was about to race to Malfoy's location when something caught his eyes.

There was a dull roar of confusion from the crowd as Malfoy continued his dive while Harry suddenly shot upwards into the clouds and became completely obscured from view.

Harry felt a sharp twinge of disappointment as he looked around the haze of the cloud.

There was nothing there. His rash decision had quite possibly lost his team both the game and the Quidditch Cup.

Before he could berate himself for his own stupidity, he caught a flicker of movement in the corner of his eye.

He shot towards it without hesitation, suppressing the cynical part of his brain that insisted that he was wasting his time and probably just chasing a bird.

The haze was so thick that Harry didn't exactly see it fully until he was basically on top of it.

He closed in the last couple inches that he needed and closed his fingers around the Snitch.

Holding his hand with the Snitch up in triumph and very well aware of the goofy grin plastered on his face, Harry dove from the cloud cover.

"I don't believe it!" Lee's voice rang out. "Harry Potter has caught the Snitch! Gryffindor has won the game 250 to forty, making them the winners of the Quidditch Cup!"

As soon as Harry hit the ground, the members of his team bombarded him with exuberant astonishment and were soon joined by the Gryffindor spectators who had rushed onto the field to join their team in celebration.

Harry found himself unable to respond to anyone with anything other than the ridiculously large smile that had split his face, and there was a warmness bursting inside of him that could only be described as unadulterated joy.

In the confusion, no one seemed to notice that the rain had finally stopped and that the sun was beginning to peak out.

A sort of laugh made it through Harry's throat as the Gryffindor team was hoisted up into the air and carried to the stands where Dumbledore was waiting.

A beaming Oliver Wood was standing next to the headmaster, and it was he that passed the cup to Harry.

"Congratulations, captain. I couldn't have left my team in better hands."

Harry held the cup up to the cheering of the crowd and then passed it on to the rest of his team.

He was so engrossed in the moment that he nearly started as a soft voice whispered in his ear.

"I know that you're excited, Harry, but perhaps you might want to tone it down a bit."

Turning to look at Dumbledore in shock and confusion, Harry saw Dumbledore's eyes motion discreetly in the direction of the sky.

The sun was shining in a cloudless and perfectly blue sky without any trace evidence of the ominously thick cover of clouds that had consumed the sky not ten minutes before.

Harry could not turn his gaze away from the sight, his mind fixated in amazement and denial that he could possibly be responsible for such a phenomenon.

Dumbledore placed a hand on Harry's shoulder. "Remember Harry, joy is much more powerful than anger."

With those sage words, Dumbledore slipped away, leaving Harry to the celebration that he so desperately needed.

**A/n:** Well, that's it for now! I finally gave the poor kid a break. Once again, thanks to everyone who reviewed. It really helps to keep me going.

**Thanks to: adge9631, amyaggie, athenakitty, blip-dragon, gaul1, CastusAlbusCor, Charlie-potter1, EbonyFirePhoenix, greywolf2004, Haunting Darkness, HG/HrRfan4ever, insanechildfanfic, Kate Potter, KuTiExAzNxAnGeL, Lady Dearest, Nphipps, Raclswt, rahl, Rocky285, slycat-blaze11, TopQuark, venus4280**

**amarilis** I very much agree that Harry needed the rest!

**Fallen Angel:** That is a wonderful compliment. Thanks. I hope that this provided you with a few laughs.

**Insane Pineapple from Naboo:** I like Fawkes acting as a "mother hen." As for Dumbledore being suspicious… I guess he is. I hadn't realized it before. Thanks for pointing it out.

**becki**You're back! I missed you (not to mention that I was a little afraid that you had actually gone through with your stalking threat). No, Ron and Hermione are just fine for now… I hope that your new computer is working out for you. Thanks for the great reviews!

**biopoet** Thanks for everything! I'm glad that you like doing it because you help a lot!

**MiruSedna**Sirius did notice his hair… and he was not pleased.

**Jess:** I'm glad that it's not too teen-angsty. Dumbledore and Harry are definitely my favorite characters!

**zorro**** x: **Yes, you did in fact threaten to stalk me, but that's okay. I updated faster… keep reviewing. It helps!

**Spectre** The story is indeed coming to a close... at least it is past the half-way point, which is good because the ending is already written!

**Twinlakeshgrl** Harry is an animagus, but he has to learn to use magic as a phoenix.

**baasheep**I hope that you're feeling better. The review was certainly not useless! I know that four months is a long time, but I only took a little over one month this time! Yes, poor Neville, but now he can have a bigger role. I don't think that he even qualified as Harry's side-kick before. There will be further mention of Harry's training with Fawkes in the next chapter (I think).

**Mindaleo** Actually, McGonagall let him finish eating. She grabbed the boys on their way back to the dorm. The sentence is subtle. Sorry for the confusion. I'm glad that you're going to stick with the story, and thanks for joining the group.

**Paradox01:** Well, I hope that you got to do another dance. Believe me, I understand. I always get excited when someone updates when they haven't in a while. I'm glad that the last chapter amused you, and hopefully, this one will too.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/n:** Well, the end is quickly approaching. Please keep in mind when you read this chapter that it may seem as though nothing happened, but there are some very important things that are revealed in this chapter! Of course, I must thank my wonderfully patient beta reader, Chava!

**Harry Potter and the Prophecy of the Phoenix – Chapter 18**

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Neville questioned, breaking the uneasy silence that had descended and continued to intensify on the pair of Gryffindors as they made their way to the empty Transfiguration classroom.

Harry tried to smile reassuringly, needing to hide the anxiety tickling the inside of his gut for Neville's sake.

It had seemed like a good idea at the time, but at the moment, standing purposefully in front of a dementor doing absolutely nothing seemed a bit insane.

In fact, it seemed more than a bit insane, absolutely certifiable even.

Worse, Dumbledore had been hesitant at first, and it was well known that the elder wizard was a few Chocolate Frog cards short of a full set.

"I'm sure Neville. I wouldn't have suggested it if I had any doubt that you could do it."

Neville fidgeted a moment and then found his voice again, "But what if I can't? What if nothing happens? What if you-"

"Hey, don't worry about me. I'll be fine, and Dumbledore and McGonagall will be there just in case."

Neville winced, and Harry was not sure if Neville was more worried about facing a dementor or facing one in the presence of their headmaster and head of house.

"Neville, you have nothing to prove to them. You've already accomplished something many fully trained wizards have not. This is just the icing on the cake."

"Yeah," Neville mumbled, "but the icing's the best part."

A small upturn in Neville's lips betrayed him, and Harry, pretending not to notice, continued the metaphor.

"But without the cake, the icing is nothing but a glop of goo."

Neville's slight upturn metamorphosed into a definite grin.

Though he did not know it, an amused twinkle danced across the emerald expanse of Harry's orbs. Such knowledge would lead him to the singular conclusion that he had spent way too much time in the company of his headmaster.

Finally reaching the Transfiguration classroom, Neville hesitated at the door.

Harry wanted to give Neville another shot to back down. He did not want to force the experience on his friend. Instead another phrase altogether passed through his lips.

"You'll be just fine, Neville."

Neville nodded, took a deep controlled breath as he opened the door, and the pair entered the classroom.

The moment of climactic tension was dispelled immediately when the teens noticed the absence of both professors.

When Dumbledore and McGonagall arrived several minutes later, they found that all of the desks had been arranged so that they framed the borders of the room and opened up the space with Neville and Harry speaking quietly next to a rather large mound of chocolate that had been piled onto on of the desks.

"Really boys, it wasn't necessary to deplete your candy supply. I brought more than enough for all of us." Dumbledore teased.

Having limited experience with being alone with his headmaster, Neville's face colored slightly, but Harry responded to the words calmly.

"We wanted to be prepared."

"Well, it's good to know that _somebody_ was." McGonagall stated matter-of-factly, shooting a look of irritation in Dumbledore's direction. "Excuse our tardiness, gentlemen."

When McGonagall had her back to them, Dumbledore rolled his eyes and winked at the pair.

"I saw that, headmaster. Honestly, what kind of role-model are you providing for these students?"

"She's a lot more fun than she let's on." Dumbledore whispered to the teens with an air of conspiracy.

Harry could feel Neville relaxing beside him and he found himself wondering if Dumbledore had perhaps planned their tardiness in advance. Either way, he was thankful that the headmaster was acting in just the way that Neville needed at the moment.

Pretending that she had not heard her colleague's comment, McGonagall heaved a case onto her desk, and Harry allowed himself a brief moment of nostalgia, remembering his lessons with Lupin.

"Before we do anything, I want to make sure that you both want to do this." Dumbledore spoke, finally coming to the subject at hand.

Both agreed perhaps a bit too quickly, neither wanting a chance to think about it because of the possibility of changing their minds.

Accepting their answers, Dumbledore continued speaking.

"Harry, there is a possibility that the Boggart will not take the form of a dementor for you anymore. A lot has happened since your third year."

"I know, but I think that it will." Harry answered softly as a soft shiver made its way up his spinal cord.

"Neville, you'll have to stay out of the Boggart's direct line of sight. Otherwise I believe that you'll be practicing your patronus on Professor Snape instead of the intended target, and while that might make for an interesting diversion, it is not the purpose of tonight's lesson."

McGonagall cleared her throat discreetly, raising an eyebrow in reproach, but her lips were not quite as straight as they should have been.

"I want to make it clear that if Professor McGonagall or I decide that the encounter has gone on long enough, we will not hesitate to step in. There will be no arguments."

Harry and Neville nodded.

"All right. Let's get started shall we?"

"Remember, it's just icing." Harry spoke quietly to Neville before leaving his side.

Dumbledore moved up to the case while McGonagall stood behind Neville.

"Ready?"

Harry took a deep breath to calm himself, and Neville gripped his wand a bit harder before both answered with an affirmation.

Dumbledore opened the case, and Harry was filled with a sudden chill as the Boggart took the form of a dementor.

His hands clenched into tight fists, knowing that he had to fight the effects long enough for Neville to have a shot at the spell.

_"Not Harry!"_

_Come on, Neville._ Harry urged silently, trying not to listen to his mother's terrified last words.

_"Expecto patronum!"_

A large but amorphous mass of silver charged towards the dementor, and took the edge off of Harry's chill.

This done, Dumbledore stepped in front of the dementor, which immediately became a large heap of stones.

In a split second, Harry's initial confusion at the strange form resolved into a horrified understanding.

Dumbledore's greatest fear was the destruction of Hogwarts, a symbol of his failure.

_"Riddikulus!"_

The stones were now very large pieces of assorted candy, and the Boggart was promptly returned to the case.

Feeling a bit shaky, Harry turned to offer Neville a congratulatory smile that faded as soon as he saw the disappointment on his classmate's face. Without thinking, Harry closed the distance between them.

"Neville, that was really good."

"But it didn't-"

"That doesn't matter." Harry spoke firmly. "Remember, casting the patronus is a lot harder when you're actually facing a dementor. That's the whole reason why we're doing this. You nearly had it. Do you want to try again?"

"Might I suggest that before we discuss doing anything again, you each eat one of these."

Harry suppressed the color that threatened to rise to his cheeks as Dumbledore tossed them each a Chocolate Frog, deliberately fixing his mind on the task of unwrapping the chocolate so that he could avoid the elder wizard's knowing gaze.

He still thought that the idea of him as a teacher was ludicrous, but that could not stop his mind from wandering to the possibility for a few brief milliseconds.

It would positively give Snape a heart attack.

Harry blinked at the thought, immediately coming to conclusion that perhaps he should give teaching some further consideration.

The first bite of the chocolate sent a warmth through him, dispelling most of the lingering chill. He ate the rest quickly, feeling almost-normal.

A quick glance at Neville was enough to confirm that the color that had been leeched from his cheeks had returned, and Harry could read a stubborn determination that had leaked into his fellow Gryffindor's features.

He knew before repeating his offer what Neville's response would be, and he was not disappointed. With Dumbledore's nod of permission, the four returned to their places.

Checking to make sure everyone was ready, Dumbledore once again opened the case.

The chill hit Harry harder and faster than the first time, and this time it was Voldemort's voice that he heard in his head.

_" Avada Kedavra!"_

_The curse was followed by a young child's cry of pain and then a shriek of fury, pain, and disbelief that seemed almost-inhuman._

_The roar of the house collapsing filled his ears, and there was only a few seconds of silence before a frantic voice cried out in agony, "Mama! Dada!"_

A four-legged but still indistinct silver form muted the sound of the younger Harry's cries, but it could not dislodge the painful tightening in the elder Harry's chest.

He remembered now not understanding why neither of his parents had come when he was so obviously frightened and in pain. He knew that as soon as they came to get him everything would be all right, but they never came for him even though he had continued to cry for them in vain.

"Harry!"

With a start, Harry jerked out of his mental haze, becoming aware that Dumbledore was gripping his shoulders tightly and that Neville and McGonagall had already made their way to his side.

Harry's body began to shiver softly, rebelling against the enduring chill that refused to leave despite the dementor's absence.

"Here, Harry."

Dumbledore released him and a relatively large piece of chocolate became a weight in his hand.

Well aware of the three pairs of eyes locked on him, Harry polished off the chocolate without any argument.

The chocolate helped but not as much as the first time. He still felt a little chilled, but the shivering had subsided.

"Better?" Dumbledore asked gently.

"Yes, thank you."

"Perhaps we should call it a night." McGonagall suggested, concerned about the pallor that remained in Harry's face despite the chocolate.

"No." Harry protested quickly. "I'm all right. If Neville wants to, we can try one more time. I think that's all we'll need."

Dumbledore's eyes surveyed him critically.

"Are you sure, Harry?"

"I'm sure." Harry answered firmly.

"Then we should leave the decision up to Neville."

McGonagall looked as if she wanted to argue, but upon catching the look Dumbledore sent her, she did not.

"One more time." Neville agreed.

Dumbledore lingered at Harry's side as Neville and McGonagall fell back.

"Just one more time. No arguments."

Harry agreed quickly, noting the seriousness in his headmaster's tone and knowing that he could have easily chosen not to trust Harry's assessment of his condition.

Satisfied, Dumbledore offered Harry a quick smile and then returned to the case.

As soon as the case was opened, the cold hit Harry for a third time, but this time his scar flared as well.

_Harry found himself surrounded by darkness and knew immediately that he was no longer in Hogwarts._

_Something was very wrong._

_The darkness was disturbed by the sudden appearance of red, serpentine eyes._

_Harry was consumed by the sensation of malevolent power and felt a coldness overtake him that even being in the presence of dementors could not rival._

_He felt himself fading._

_As he pulled away, he found himself eerily at peace even though he found himself wondering if he was dying._

_In a strange fit of humor, he amused himself with the irony of the great Dark Lord dropping dead for no apparent reason._

_His thoughts halted with a realization._

_If he was dying, shouldn't he transform into his animagus form?_

_An internal__ warmth flooded him._

Harry realized that he had returned to Hogwarts just in time to stop the transformation before it had really begun.

His heart was beating abnormally fast with the knowledge that he had been so close to revealing the secret he had been hiding so carefully.

The blood rushing through his ears muffled the sound of his name being called, but he felt himself being moved into a semi-reclined position, exacerbating the pain in his scar and the resultant headache.

Something was placed into his mouth, and his body immediately protested the too-sweet sensation. Reacting to Harry's gagging, whoever was holding him in the semi-reclined position straightened his posture further and began to rub soothing circles on his back.

"Red eyes." Harry croaked a split-second before he was able to open his own.

The heel of his palm finally made it to his scar. Harry was grateful that it had not split open, and the applied pressure seemed to ease the pain a bit.

"Harry?"

Dumbledore's confused and concerned voice alerted Harry to the fact that his headmaster was the one holding him.

"Red eyes." Harry repeated. "That's all I saw. Everything else was dark."

"Voldemort?" Dumbledore questioned softly, only now understanding that Harry's reaction had not necessarily resulted from his exposure to the dementor.

It should have been an easy question to question to answer, but Harry hesitated. The power Harry had felt was much greater than he had ever sensed in Voldemort's presence. Perhaps the vision had taken him back to a time when Voldemort was at the height of his power, but there was a niggling feeling in Harry's gut that told him the answer was not that simple.

"I don't know."

The sharp, knifelike pains radiating from his scar were beginning to dull, allowing Harry to remove his hand and suck in a deep lungful of air in relief.

The hold Dumbledore had on him loosened as the elder wizard sensed that Harry no longer required such a degree of physical support.

Sensing, however, that his emotional state was not as recovered, Dumbledore forced the sound of a smile to override the worry in his voice.

"I'm afraid that you missed it Harry. Neville produced quite a spectacular patronus the minute you hit the ground."

Harry turned his attention to his peer, whose cheeks had gained a red hue at Dumbledore's words of praise, but even beneath the embarrassment, Harry could easily read the worry and guilt tainting Neville's demeanor.

"I'm sorry that I missed it." Harry spoke sincerely but was not quite able to turn the corners of his lips upright.

When Neville began to stammer out an apology, Harry cut him off quickly.

"Neville, I meant it when I said that I was okay to try again. What just happened could have easily happened on our way back to the dormitories, and believe me when I say that I'm glad that it happened here instead."

Those words helped a little, but Neville seemed determined to hold onto at least some of his guilt, a stubbornness that rivaled Harry's own in such a matter.

McGonagall, who was also kneeling beside Harry, obviously wanted to do something to help but seemed to be at a loss.

Seeming to have a moment of revelation, she quickly unwrapped another piece of chocolate and held it out to Harry.

Harry's stomach lurched, and he could not help but wince as he declined politely.

It was then Dumbledore realized that something was amiss. When he had gripped Harry's shoulders earlier, he could feel the chill of the teen's skin through his robes. Now, Harry's body temperature was normal if not slightly warm, a discrepancy that could not be explained by the small amount of chocolate Harry had eaten.

Somehow the vision itself or something that had happened inside the vision had negated the dementor's effects.

"Should I get Madam Pomfrey?" McGonagall asked, noting both the significance of Harry's physical reaction and the startled contemplation that had taken over Dumbledore's face.

"No, I'm all right. The pain's almost gone." Harry pleaded. He was not in the mood to subject himself to the mediwitch's suffocating care after everything that had happened.

Dumbledore recognized and sympathized with Harry's reluctance, and even though the latter was looking remarkably improved, the fact remained that something unusual had happened to Harry during his vision. He would be remiss both as Harry's headmaster and as someone who truly cared about him if he let Harry go without insisting upon any sort of medical attention.

"Harry, I think that it would be a good idea if Madam Pomfrey took a look at you just to make sure."

Taking that statement as her cue, McGonagall left hurriedly for the hospital wing, and by the time she returned with the mediwitch, Harry was sitting unassisted and speaking softly with Neville.

Madam Pomfrey shot the headmaster a look clearly conveying the message that she was not pleased, and Dumbledore found himself wondering why exactly he had insisted upon her presence.

Kneeling beside Harry, she clucked her disapproval before drawing her wand.

"Let's see what you've managed to do to yourself this time, Mr. Potter. Honestly, someone as delicate as yourself should not be volunteering for such foolhardy stunts."

Harry's expression was a mixture of argument and a desperate entreaty for help.

"There are several words that I would use to describe Harry, Poppy. 'Delicate' is certainly not one of them." Dumbledore defended firmly.

Madam Pomfrey responded with a noncommittal noise in her throat as she continued her scans, but Harry's brilliant eyes flashed in surprise. If he did not know better, he could have sworn that he sensed pride directed at him in his headmaster's words, the sort of unconditional pride that his aunt had directly at his cousin even though Dudley had done nothing to earn it.

"Well, Mr. Potter, I can't find anything wrong with you, but to be on the safe side, I'd like you to take it easy tonight and get plenty of rest. If you suddenly feel worse, I want you to report to the hospital wing immediately."

Harry nodded in relief, grateful that he was not being forced to spend the night in the hospital wing.

Looking unsatisfied with his agreement, Madam Pomfrey nonetheless excused herself, leaving only the four original occupants in the classroom.

Harry allowed Neville to help him up, knowing that Neville needed the gesture more than he did.

Despite Madam Pomfrey's clean bill of health, he felt unsteady on his feet for a couple seconds before his legs held firmly.

The others had apparently noticed his temporary instability and were eyeing him critically again.

Convincing himself to ignore their looks and his growing irritation at being coddled, Harry spoke calmly to Dumbledore and McGonagall, "Thank you for helping us."

McGonagall simply nodded in acknowledgement while Dumbledore responded to the statement with a soft smile.

"It was our pleasure. Now, may I suggest that we all take Madam Pomfrey's advice and get some rest. Fighting dementors can take a lot out of anyone."

The boys gathered their chocolate stash, only noticing at that moment that it had not been touched and that the chocolate Dumbledore had given to them had come from the headmaster's own supply.

The boys walked in companionable silence most of the distance to the Gryffindor Tower before the sound of Harry's voice disturbed it.

"You did great, Neville. Don't let what happened at the end spoil it for you. Besides, Dumbledore has a habit of overreacting."

An almost-Slytherin look crossed Neville's features, giving the teen a more mature aura than Harry was accustomed to seeing from him.

"Don't worry about it. My gran tends to overreact when I get sick too."

It took a couple moments for the analogy to sink into Harry's brain, but as soon as it did, he focused his startled attention on his friend.

"But that's different, Neville. Dumbledore's not my grandfather."

Neville only smiled at the argument, and Harry could not help but wonder what had happened to the bumbling, anxious Neville Longbottom.

Harry released a rush of breath, feeling completely exhausted. Although his lessons with Fawkes had progressed to the point that Harry was able to recognize and modify magical signatures at a very primitive point, he still tired extremely easily.

In fact, the lessons had become just as much about endurance as learning the skills.

_"I'm sorry, Fawkes. I don't think that I can do anymore tonight."_

_"There is no need to apologize, Harry. You're working very hard, and you _are_ making progress."_

Harry let out the equivalent of a sigh in his animagus form.

_"Just very slowly.__ I don't know if I'm going to be ready in time. It's not going to be much longer before I have to face him."_

_"Believing in yourself is half the battle though I must admit that sometimes I think the invention of the wand was the worst thing to happen to humankind."_

Harry blinked, his curiosity piqued. Most wizards and witches needed their wands to perform magic. How could the invention of an instrument that allowed humans to use magic be a bad thing?

_"What do you mean?"_

_"Humans, all humans, are magical creatures just like unicorns or phoenixes. Before the invention of the wand, humans used their powers naturally. Of course there were a variety of talents as well as a spectrum with regards to the potency of those talents._

_The wand was invented quite on accident. A wealthy man came into the possession of a unicorn hair and noticed that with the hair, he was better able to focus his abilities, making it appear that his powers had increased. The man became inseparable from the hair, growing more dependant upon it on a daily basis, and as his dependence increased, he became increasingly paranoid that he would lose his prized possession. He solved his dilemma by boring a hole into his walking stick, the first wand._

_It was not long before wands were commonplace in the households of those who could afford them. Soon, the wands themselves became a symbol of wealth and performing magic without the use of one was seen as a mark of shame, advertising oneself as being from an inferior class._

_Thus, those who could not afford to own a wand began to suppress their own magical abilities. However, the resentment began to build between the two groups, and after several generations humankind experienced its first major split._

_By this time the suppression of magical abilities had so been ingrained into the minds of what had been the lower classes that they had lost the knowledge of how to use such powers and no longer needed to use them to ensure their survival."_

A sad sort of empathy wrapped its way around Harry's heart. He knew what it was liked to be shunned, and those people had lost so much because of petty bigotry.

_"So they lost their magical abilities?"_

_"Of course not.__ Magic is still a part of every human being. It just manifests itself in different ways."_

_"I don't understand."_

_"Have you ever heard a gifted musician play and been touched in such a way that could not be accounted for by the sum of notes and rhythm, or have you had the experience of being taken away to a different reality through the words strewn together by a talented author? Have you not heard stories of parents performing incredible feats to save the lives of their children?_

_Music, art, love, and so many other fantastic abilities are all magic, Harry, just as real as the kind that you learn in lessons but in a different form. Just because your Ministry of Magic does not label them as such means nothing except to establish rules of bureaucracy."_

Harry felt as if dazed, as if the entire foundation of his understanding had suddenly been ripped out from under him.

_"So the whole debate about pure bloods and muggle borns…"_

_"Is a complete waste of time. Muggle born wizards are simply those born with a magical talent that your ministry can detect. It has always amazed me that so much blood has been shed over a perceived difference that does not exist."_

Harry's mind was churning so quickly that it was on the verge of an overload, and Fawkes seemed to understand that he could not take any more new information that night.

_"Let's call it a night, Harry. We can continue tomorrow."_

Harry agreed quickly, bidding his fellow phoenix good-bye, grateful that he would have some time to absorb what he had learned before he was due to resume his other classes.

Harry noticed Hermione's smile of approval as he heaped a generous portion of eggs onto his plate.

If his lessons with Fawkes did nothing else, they left him famished, and that resultant increase in appetite was going a long ways towards easing Hermione's worries about him.

Of course it also helped that the O.W.L.s were quickly approaching, and she was beginning to panic in typical Hermione style, leaving less and less room for Harry scrutiny.

Ron was beginning to panic as well, realizing that last minute cramming time had arrived and was slipping away quickly.

In fact, his complaints had only been half-hearted when Hermione had presented both Harry and him with copies of her study schedule so that they could study together.

It was on days like today that Harry was thankful that both his friends were sufficiently distracted because Harry's newfound knowledge was crawling around under his skin, wanting desperately to make itself known to all who would hear.

Unfortunately, such knowledge was a tiger that Harry would have to keep caged for the time being. Releasing it would be too dangerous, not only because he would indefinitely be questioned on the source of the information but also because it would meet with too much resistance.

Harry himself was having trouble assimilating the information, and asking those who were more firmly set in their ideals to change them could end in nothing other than disaster.

"Something on your mind, Harry?"

The word that ran through Harry's mind at Ron's inquiry would probably resulted in a cleansing spell aimed at his mouth had he spoken it aloud. Luckily, a plausible excuse popped into his head easily.

"Not really. I'm just running through the information on the Defense quiz this morning in my head."

Hermione's voice donned what her classmates had dubbed as her "know-it-all" tone.

"Harry, that quiz isn't until the next lesson-"

Her voice cut off when she saw Ron shaking his head.

"No, Hermione, it's today. Remember, Professor Fletcher didn't assign us homework so that we could study for it."

Hermione's face turned chalk white and her breathing became alarmingly close to a rate that would certainly result in hyperventilation. "You're right. I can't believe it! I forgot to study! I was too busy revising for my O.W.L.s. I-"

Harry interrupted before she could work herself up any more, "Hermione, relax. You already know the information better than most of us without studying, but if it will make you feel any better, Ron and I are finished with breakfast, and we can get to Defense early and go through the information quickly before class starts."

Ron looked as if he wanted to argue his friend's assertion that they had both finished with breakfast, but seeing the flood of relief bring a bit of color back to Hermione's cheeks curbed that argument immediately.

Still, Hermione's hands were shaking as she bent down to retrieve her bag.

Silently, Harry took her hands in his, acting mostly on instinct, and felt a warmth travel from his hands into hers.

Hermione's eyes widened at her friend as she felt his magic working inside of her, calming the panic that had threatened to consume her only seconds before.

"Harry, what-"

Harry was asking himself the same question Hermione was too amazed to finish. He had thought that he would only be able to use such magic as a phoenix, and even though it took more energy in his present form, he had done it nevertheless.

He mused that perhaps he would be required to expand his understanding about the definition of magic once again, and hope that perhaps he would be ready when the time came sprung forth in his chest.

On the outside, Harry responded only with a comforting smile and repeated the suggestion that they should head for the Defense classroom.

The trio had no sooner left the Great Hall when they ran into Draco Malfoy flanked by his pair of goons, apparently arriving for breakfast late.

A sneer curled around Malfoy's lips as he spat, "Well, if it isn't Potty, Weasel, and the mudblood-"

He got no further into his insult as he was interrupted by Harry's sharp burst of laughter.

It had simply been too much. The term "mudblood" was supposed to be a horrible insult, capable of inciting strong emotional reactions, but it meant nothing, nothing at all.

"What's so funny, Potter?" Malfoy snapped in irritation.

Harry was not going to dignify him with a response until he saw the hurt glittering in Hermione's eyes, probably prompted by Harry's response rather than Malfoy's insult.

"You, Malfoy. Your insults are meaningless, and you're too ignorant to know any better."

With those words, Harry simply walked away with Ron and Hermione right begin him, not especially caring that he had just left his rival fuming.

At this point, Draco Malfoy was simply a petty annoyance, and Harry was not going to spare him time that he did not deserve.

"Harry, what was that all about?"

"Nothing to worry about, Hermione. I just wanted to ruffle his feathers a little."

A huge grin was plastered upon Ron's face, "And it worked too. Did you see his face? It turned purple, purple I tell you. That was great, Harry, almost as good as Hermione hitting him or the bouncing ferret."

Hermione seemed to accept his explanation, but Harry could not suppress his feelings of vulnerability. He had just made his second lapse of the day in the presence of the cleverest witch in Hogwarts.

Even though his lapses separately were not much of a threat, together they could represent the one string capable of unraveling the entire scope of his secret, and if anyone was capable of recognizing that string, it was Hermione Granger.

**A/n: **So that's it for the time being. However, I have three weeks left of vacation, and I plan to have at least another chapter done before it ends. I think that I only have one or two left before the big confrontation.

Before I get to the individual reviews, there were several queries about the Lemon Drops. Yes, I've had them, and Harry's reaction was loosely based upon my first one when I was five or six. Unlike Harry, I promptly spit mine out.

Now for the individual reviewers:

**Thanks to:-), ACT, amarilis, anarian, athenakitty, Authoress, blip-dragon, Calc Student, Carma1219, CatusAlbusCor, charlie-potter1, crazicaza, Darkness Shattered, DF-default, elyse, gaul1, greywolf3004, HhaZzeLl, Iayala, Illucia, insanechildfanfic, KuTiExAzNxAnGeL, Lil Ole Me 97, Lord of Darkness 13, Mel-chan, Melindaleo, Mia, MiruSedna, Molly Morrison, Nphipps, Rachel A. Prongs, rahl, Raven-Fett, Rocky235, Rhyllen, skycat-blaze11, Tielle, TopQuark, zorro x**

**Jana Moon-** No more rampages, okay? Man I wish I could flick my wrist and fix everything.

**Didge****-** I don't update based on reviews, but yes, those are more reviews than I ever imagined.

**Rioni26-** I didn't really intend for it to be a superpower Harry story. He's had to struggle to get to where he is.

**Meggplant****-** Well I'm glad that you stuck with it! I know that it can be depressing, but I also try to include bits of humor to lighten the angst.

**Infinite13-** The whole last chapter was a break, and as for Snape, he's more prominent than I had ever planned.

**Insane Pineapple from Naboo- **Well, Harry did have a conversation with Malfoy… I wouldn't exactly call it civil though…

**DustofAPhoenix****-** Purple brooms! Where were you when I needed you? No fear, you've inspired something else entirely. Keep reading and you'll see what it is.

**alternativelyspliced**** &TheShadowPanther-** How many chapters left? Um, 5 or 6 I think. That's not a definite, but we're definitely nearing the end of this saga.

**Lily Skylo-** Yes, it will be an interesting summer. Thanks for the entertaining review.

**venus4280-** The scene with the trio was supposed to be written, but it just would not write correctly. I had to scrap it. There will be some good moments later.

**Spirit Mornea-** Thanks for the clarification as well as the wonderful compliment. The first book that did that to me was a Hardy Boys book.

**FireBadTreeNice****-** You just about had me in tears. Thank you for your inspiring words, and I hope that I can live up to your high expectations.

**HG/HrRFan4ever- **No, that's just not in his cards, and yes, he did need a break.

**baasheep****-**Well, if the cold is still lingering, I'd be very concerned. Hopefully you are all better by now. I'm glad that you liked the joy phrase, and the next chapter should be out much quicker.

**Von-** The half truth is that he was preoccupied with having perhaps apparated inside of Hogwarts. It's at the end of Chapter 16 (I think). I'm glad you enjoyed the idea you inspired so long ago. (PS. I'm very amused by the flag waving!)

**paradox01-** Yes, Harry did clear up the clouds. Isn't it an interesting paradox that Harry had to work so hard to levitate the feather but cleared up the weather without thinking about it?


	19. Chapter 19

**A/n:** Well, I did it! Unfortunately, vacation is just about up, but I think that the chapters will still come out pretty frequently. We are almost done with this part of the story after all! Thanks once again to Chava for putting up with me and beta-reading.

**Harry Potter and the Prophecy of the Phoenix – Chapter 19**

Harry sat up in bed with a gasp and then immediately sank back into his pillow and the warmth of his blankets, squeezing his eyes shut as if that action could close off his brain as well.

He had been well aware that his impending encounter with Voldemort was approaching quickly, yet he had been unprepared for his most recent vision.

He had not been prepared for Voldemort to set an exact date.

Friday night, Voldemort was planning a major assault on Hogsmeade, and as soon as he had announced it, Harry had known, simply known, that Friday night would finally be the end.

That meant that he only had five days left and not even five whole days as the fifth evening would not be his own.

A pair of tears fell before he could stop them.

Wiping them away quickly, he mentally chastised himself. After all, most likely he would not stay dead. He was being ridiculous, except there was always the possibility that he would fail.

He still had so much to learn, and it would be impossible to cram everything he would need to know into the time he had left.

He could not discount the possibility that he would die and stay dead.

It was also possible that he would return as a human infant.

Either one of those options meant that Harry would lose his life as he knew it.

Even if everything worked according to plan, it could be months before Harry matured to the proper point as a phoenix and would be able to reclaim his life.

An irrational wave of disappointment hit him, and he allowed himself the self-indulgence of bathing in it for a few seconds.

He had been holding onto the idle hope that the inevitable encounter would wait until he had completed his O.W.L.s.

Instead the fates had teased him once again, denying him yet another piece of normalcy as well as waiting until the last minute to inform him of that denial.

In the midst of his musings, an unbidden smile curled the corners of Harry's lips as he imagined having _that_ conversation with Voldemort.

_"Tom, you really don't mind me calling you "Tom" do you? I understand that you're hell-bent on taking over the world and everything, but do you think that you could possible put your plans on hold for another couple of weeks. You see, my O.W.L.s are coming up, and the date you've set isn't really all that convenient for me…"_

A sort of hysterical beginning of a laugh burst from his throat before he could stifle it.

"Harry?" Ron mumbled, his voice still heavy and muddled with sleep.

"It's all right, Ron. Go back to sleep. It was just a very strange dream."

"Just drink some cookies and it will be okay." Ron muttered incoherently, already drifting back into a slumber.

Harry literally had to cover his mouth with both hands to avoid the peals of laughter threatening to escape that would have inevitably awakened the rest of his dorm mates.

His emotions were still very raw, and although he had grown accustomed to Ron's little idiosyncrasies, the nonsensical words had pushed him over the edge tonight.

Tears of mirth, and perhaps of hysteria, streamed down his face as his diaphragm worked in silent laughter until he was sure that his sides were going to burst.

Time seemed to stand still until Harry finally managed to get a hold of himself, and once he had regained control, he resolutely avoided glancing over at Ron's sleeping form, sure that any sort of reminder would set him off again.

Just as he was about to close his eyes and attempt to fall back into a slumber himself, the song signaling a summons to the Phoenix Chamber flittered into his mind.

Knowing that it was too early for Fawkes to be calling him to his lessons, he deduced that Snape had returned and had informed Dumbledore of the planned attack.

Slipping easily out of the dormitory, Harry soon found himself perched above the table with Fawkes.

_"Harry-"_

_"Yes, I know."_ Harry interrupted before Fawkes had a chance to even begin his statement.

A jolt of fear ran through Harry as he read honest sadness and regret in his feathered mentor's eyes.

Just as Harry's doubts began to resurface with a vengeance, Harry felt Fawkes reach out with his magic to calm him.

_"Easy, Harry. I was just thinking that you have to carry such a large burden on such young shoulders. You've done everything in your power to prepare for this, and whatever is meant to happen will happen. The worst thing that you can do right now is doubt yourself."_

Harry forced his thoughts to calm even while acknowledging the new one that pointed out Fawkes's irritating habit of being right.

A bit of amusement leaked in with Fawkes's calming influence, and Harry was distinctly reminded of his first meeting with the phoenix in his animagus form.

_"You've come a long way since then, and it's been a privilege to be a part of that journey."_

At that moment, Harry was extremely grateful that the flush of embarrassment that rushed to his cheeks could not be seen in his present form and was equally grateful that Dumbledore called the meeting to an order.

As important as the subject matter of the meeting was, Harry found his mind wandering as it provided his own distractions as Snape relayed to the Order what Harry had already seen.

He knew that he was going to drive himself mad if he kept harping on how soon everything would come to a close, not to mention that if he allowed himself to be inordinately preoccupied, his friends and teachers would realize that something was up.

Harry's attention returned to the meeting as soon as Snape finished his account and Dumbledore took the floor.

"Thank you, Severus."

Though Dumbledore's words were grave, he was radiating the same power Harry had sensed at the end of his fourth year.

"I fear that as Cornelius is still insisting on maintaining the charade that Voldemort has not returned, we are going to have to mount the defense of Hogsmeade. Those of you who have established networks of supporters, I ask that you contact them and ask for their help. I will supply all of you with the necessary portkeys, and we'll meet just inside of the Forbidden Forrest an hour before the scheduled attack. We want to be waiting for him, but we also don't want to raise any suspicions with all of the disappearances too far ahead of time. The element of surprise could be what turns the tide in our favor."

Dumbledore's eyes scanned the table, ignoring the painful tearing in his heart at the thought that some of these brave people, his friends, would not be returning after the attack.

"Severus, you know what you'll need to do, and Minerva, I'm going to ask that you remain in the castle during the attack."

Snape nodded, but McGonagall looked as if she wanted to argue.

"Minerva, I'm going to be needed out there, and we cannot leave the children alone, especially not with the attack so close. You know why it has to be you that stays behind."

Unused to receiving answers, Harry did not even bother to ask the obvious question and was quite surprised when he heard Fawkes's voice in his head.

_"The headmaster and deputy headmistress have magical ties to the castle that the other teachers do not, so one of them must remain in order to properly mount the castle's defenses."_

McGonagall also nodded in understanding but still did not seem appeased. It would be difficult for her to stay behind while everyone else was out risking their lives, but her students would need her if, Merlin forbid, the attack stemmed into Hogwarts.

The meeting lingered for only a few minutes longer, and even though basic strategy was discussed, the final strategy would not be able to be ironed out until they knew how many and who had come to fight.

Harry caught Snape making a subtle movement of his head, a signal to Dumbledore to remain behind as the others exited.

Though everyone else had left, Snape still spoke quietly as if he was afraid of being overheard.

"Albus, you know that if I turn, I'll no longer have any value as a spy. He'll kill me if I return."

"Yes, I know, but right now I need you fighting for us. Besides, Voldemort will know that someone tipped us about the attack when he finds that we were waiting for him. Your cover has already been compromised."

Harry found his lungs temporarily paralyzed as a strong wave of regret originating from his Potions professor threatened to bowl him over.

Even though Dumbledore had been unsuccessful at attaining his animagus form, he sensed that regret just as truly as the pair of phoenixes.

"Severus, you have more than paid your debt."

Snape shook his head.

"What I did… It's a debt that can never be repaid. Goodnight, Albus."

Dumbledore released a sigh when he was left alone with the phoenixes, and his entire body seemed to deflate along with his lungs.

The strength that he had been exuding throughout the meeting disappeared, leaving not the wizard that Voldemort feared but an old, tired man, who had seen and carried too much.

As if trying to hide the weakness or trying to separate himself from reality, Dumbledore hid his face in his hands.

Harry's first instinct was to go to him, to use his newly discovered skills to help at least a little, but a warning inside of his head stopped him.

_"I'll go, Harry. I fear Albus would overwhelm you at the moment. Stay put. We still have some training left to do."_

Fawkes glided down, finding a new perch on Dumbledore's shoulder. Warbling a couple strains, Fawkes also nudged Dumbledore's cheek with his own.

The relief Harry felt when the elder wizard lifted his head was short-lived as he spotted tell-tale streaks of moisture that had stretched down the aged face.

Fawkes continued his song, and Harry could feel the magic surging inside the room.

Finally, Dumbledore reached up a hand to stroke Fawkes gratefully, but he still did not look like himself

"Come on, Fawkes. Let's get some rest. We have a long week ahead of us."

Fawkes responded with a tone of apologetic regret while turning his head in Harry's direction.

"Go on. I'll be all right."

After cocking his head as if to ascertain for himself the whether or not Dumbledore was prepared for him to leave, Fawkes took off and returned to the perch.

Dumbledore watched the pair for a moment as if considering something he had previously neglected before leaving to grab a couple hours of much needed rest.

…

A year ago, Harry would have absolutely balked at the idea of spending any of his limited time in the dungeons with his "greasy git" of a Potions professor, but his association with his professor had become inordinately complicated as his fifth year had progressed.

More importantly, skipping Potions so close to the O.W.L.s would just add another piece to the puzzle in Hermione's brain, which was just too risky.

It had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that Harry was actually beginning to enjoy the art of potion brewing now that he had a better understanding of what was going on.

Nothing at all.

The door slammed loudly as Snape billowed into the classroom, onyx eyes glittering dangerously.

Apparently, Snape was not dealing with stress of Friday night's impending event and was set on taking out his tension on his students.

"Mr. Longbottom, what are the two main ingredients in Blood Clotting Paste?"

_Come on, Neville. You know this._ Harry thought, hoping that maybe his mental encouragement could do some good.

After the completion of their patronus project, Neville had approached Harry about helping him with Potions, and Harry had agreed without hesitation.

Neither had wanted to give up what they had started to build, and Harry had found to his amazement that Neville had a knack for the theory aspect of Potions, which made perfect sense when Harry reminded himself of Neville's talent in Herbology.

If not for Neville's fear of Snape, Harry had a feeling that his friend would be one of the best brewers in the class.

Thus, unlike the last time, these tutoring sessions were not one-sided, and Harry found himself benefiting from the discussion just as much as Neville did.

"Ground cobwebs and powdered mouse meat." Neville answered meekly but answered nevertheless.

A wide grin split Harry's face as he celebrated in his head.

Snape's eyes flashed in a mixture of astonishment and irritation. For some reason, his attention shifted to Harry, shooting a glare in his direction that seemed to indicate he knew Harry was responsible for breaking his favorite toy.

"Weasley, what color should a burn poultice be?"

It was a trick question, and the smirk on Snape's face indicated that he was sure Ron would not know the answer.

What Snape did not know was that he happened to pick the one thing Hermione had drilled into Ron's sometimes thick skull the night before.

"The color of the poultice depends on the severity of the burn. A red poultice should be used for first degree burns, orange for second degree, and yellow for anything more severe."

Ron answered the question easily, much to Hermione's satisfaction.

Snape's normally sallow face was turning an unusual color, and Harry found himself actually feeling sorry for him. He desperately needed something to relieve his tension, and all of his easy targets had somehow turned on him.

"Finnigan, what happens if you heat a Fever Reducing for too long?"

"I don't know."

"Twenty points from Gryffindor for your ignorance." Snape voiced in triumph. "Heating that potion for too long will cause the willow bark to react with the pixie dust to form a deadly toxin."

Ron, unable to help himself, muttered something under his breath about the unfairness of Snape's treatment.

"Weasley, fifteen points from Gryffindor for your mouth. The instructions for today's potion are on the board. Begin."

The rest of the class passed without incident, but as soon as they left the classroom Hermione announced only in Ron and Harry's hearing range, "Something's going on."

Harry's blood ran cold. "What do you mean, Hermione?"

"Didn't you notice that Snape was acting really strangely? He's nervous about something."

Ron rolled his eyes. "He's just being a git like always."

"Oh, honestly Ron, it's so obvious. Harry, you haven't seen anything important lately, have you?"

"No."

This time Ron frowned. "You woke up crying last night."

Hermione's eyes widened in horror while Harry let out a sigh of exasperation.

"I wasn't crying, Ron. I was laughing."

Okay, so he had done a little of both, but what Ron had heard was laughter.

"I know what I heard." Ron defended stubbornly.

"Ron, you told me that if I drank the cookies, then everything would be okay. I don't think you were quite awake."

"I did not!" Ron protested though he looked unsure and the tips of his ears were going scarlet.

"If you say so."

"What _did_ you dream about, Harry?" Hermione persisted.

Cursing his friend's power of observation, Harry schooled his features into a neutral expression.

"I don't really remember the details, just that it was very strange."

Harry was saved by their entrance into the Transfigurations classroom, and though he knew it to be futile, he hoped Hermione would drop the subject.

…

"All right, Harry, very funny. Now, if you don't mind, could you please return my beard to normal?"

Harry gave Dumbledore a look of false innocence, silently thrilled that he had managed to return the twinkle to his headmaster's eyes.

"Are you sure, sir? I think that I like it better this way. It's more festive, don't you think?"

Dumbledore stared at him over his half moon spectacles and then looked pointedly at the red and gold stripes that now decorated his beard.

"As headmaster, I cannot be partial to one particular house."

Harry faked a sigh.

"I suppose that you're right."

Dumbledore looked pleased as Harry once again focused on his beard but could only stare in surprise when the red and gold stripes were replaced by red, green, yellow, and blue stripes.

"Problem solved." Harry replied impudently, quite certain that Dumbledore would never again suggest for him to use his wandless abilities creatively during one of their sessions.

Maybe that would not matter anyway. Time had flown by quickly, and it was now Friday afternoon. Today could very well be the last session he would ever have with Dumbledore.

He would even miss those cursed lemon drops.

The laughter Dumbledore was helpless to prevent snapped Harry out of that disastrous train of thought.

"That wasn't quite what I had in mind, Harry." Dumbledore tried but failed to state sternly once he had gotten a hold of himself.

"I'm sorry, sir. Would you prefer polka dots?"

"No!" Dumbledore responded quickly before Harry could put that plan into action.

Harry smiled victoriously and then concentrated on his headmaster's beard once again, this time removing all of the added color.

Dumbledore overplayed the relief on his face when he saw that his beard had returned to normal, and when he spoke again, the jocularity in his voice was undisguised.

"Thankfully, that's all the time that we have for the day. I'll see you next week."

Harry nodded, just stopping his own smile from slipping in time, and he made it to the door before he stopped to address Dumbledore again.

"I don't think that I've ever thanked you for taking the time to do this, Professor. I just wanted you to know that I really appreciate it."

Harry slipped out the door, leaving Dumbledore to stare at the door for a while and wonder why he felt as if Harry was saying "good-bye."

…

Harry's eyes roamed over the page for what seemed like the thousandth time, but his mind just could not make sense of the characters that were supposed to form words and sentences.

Hitting the end of the page again, he gave a mental sigh and obstinately returned to the top of the page again.

Harry swore that some sort of clock had been magicked into his head because he swore that he could hear the seconds ticking away.

The sound of Ron calling his name startled his mind out of wherever it had been, and he turned his attention to his red-headed friend.

"Want to play a game of chess or something?"

Harry did not get a chance to reply before Hermione burst into the conversation.

"Ron, no way. You're already way behind, and the O.W.L.s are less than two weeks away."

"Hermione, even McGonagall told us that we needed to set aside some time to have fun. Besides, Harry's been stuck on the same page for thirty minutes. I think that he needs a break."

Ignoring Hermione's concerned and calculated gaze roaming over him, Harry managed a small smile.

"A game of chess sounds good, Ron. Thanks."

Relief flashed across Ron's face as he left to retrieve his chess board, resulting as much from his own need to take a break as Harry's acceptance.

Despite her initial protests, when Ron returned with the board, she positioned herself so that she could watch the game, keeping the book open on her lap as if to maintain the pretense of studying.

Harry meant to keep his mind on the game, but he found himself simply soaking in his friends' easy camaraderie. They had been his first real friends, and they had been through so much together.

In a way, it hurt almost more than he could bear that he would have to leave them behind, but he was also grateful that they would be safe within the castle walls, that they would not become spares like Cedric.

"Harry." Hermione gasped.

Harry snapped back into reality, certain that he had been caught wrapped up in his musings.

"That's check mate." Ron voiced, sounding equally shocked.

Harry could not figure out why they were so shocked. Of course Ron had check mated him. Every game they had played for the past five years had ended the same way, and his mind had definitely not been on the game.

His eyes drifted down to the board and found himself just as astonished as his friends.

It figured. He had tried to beat Ron for five years, and the first time he managed it, he could not recall a single move that he had made.

"I guess that I'm going to have to owe you a rematch."

Even though Harry had managed to smile, something in his tone had obviously alerted Hermione because she was now looking at him in alarm.

"I think that I'm going to turn in early tonight. I didn't sleep well last night. Don't worry, Hermione. I'll make up the studying I missed later."

Harry collected his things and made it all the way to the staircase before he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Harry, is something wrong?"

"No, I'm just really tired." He turned back to the stairwell and then impulsively turned back to Hermione. "Hermione, would you do me a favor?"

"Of course."

"Keep Crookshanks nearby for the next couple of days."

"Why? What's going on?"

Harry met her eyes, seeing the worry reflecting from them and hoped that this would not be his last memory of one of his best friends.

"Nothing, Hermione. I'm sorry. I'm not making much sense. I really need to get some sleep."

Without another word, Harry climbed the stairs to his dormitory, finding it empty much to his relief.

He had been prepared to stun any of his classmates, but he was glad that it was not necessary.

"_Somnus fictus_." Harry commanded, pointing his wand at his covers.

Immediately a space inflated beneath the cover in the shape of a sleeping human, rising and falling with a slow breathing pattern.

_Much better than the pillow method,_ Harry decided with a hint of satisfaction.

He had planned on leaving a note as well, just a little something in case things went wrong to let his friends know how much they meant to him, but he had been unable to write it, unable to find the words.

Now, it was too late. He was out of time.

It would just have to be one more incentive to return.

Harry moved to the window, and then turned to look at the room once more.

"Thank you." He whispered to the place that had given him his first real home and real friends.

Without any further delay, Harry opened the window, transformed, and flew from the castle to meet those preparing for battle on the edge of the Forbidden Forrest.

**A/n: **Yes, I'm very aware that the ending of this chapter is quite cruel, but just think, the next chapter will be the big one, the one we've all been waiting for… Sorry, I think that I was channeling Wood there for a moment. Now on to the reviewers!

**Thanks to: Alexa, Anya, athenakitty, blip-dragon, CastusAlbusCor, charlie-potter1, Darkness Shattered, Illucia, insanechildfanfic, Kagome144, kateydidnt, kjkit, KuTiExAzNxAnGeL, meg, Meggplant, Melindaleo, moonrider666, NiciCool, Nphipps, paradox01, Potter Reader, slycat-blaze11, Snow Raine, The Lady Reaper of the Shadows**

**Xyverz-** He's not really becoming more phoenix-like, just learning to use his magic in a different way. As for the burning day… just wait.

**SpiritMornea- **You absolutely made my day… Well, two days. Thank you! As for this story ending, I think that I've pretty much decided to write the sequel to this story and not a sixth year based on Ootp. Also, do not insult your own work. I've found that I am my worst critic, and there have definitely been times where I've thought that my writing was horrible. Just keep writing and enjoy it. That's the best advice that I can give you. Oh, and don't miss the bus this time:)

**Erra-** Thank you again for your offer! I'm looking forward to it.

**venus4280-** You'll find out more about that vision later. That was the most important thing in the last chapter… hint, hint.

**Seaweed Popsicle-** Yes, Ginny does exist. She's tried to pop in a couple of times, but it just didn't work. I think that my patronus would be in the form of my cat, and I have to ask… what little dog?

**becki- **Get the socks out again!

**Tears of Phoenix-** You'll see the possibilities narrow significantly next chapter! I also agree that the translation of the prophecy in the Ootp is very misleading… we'll just have to see what JKR has in store for us. Oh, and when you make your broom, can I have one?

**baasheep- **Oh geez, do I see another heart attack coming? After all, it hasn't even been a month yet since the last update. Neville is certainly developing isn't he? The scene with Fawkes originally occurred in a much earlier chapter, but it would not fit. The idea kind of grew as time went on. I'm glad that you appreciated. I'm glad that you're feeling better, and I hope that your exams went well.

**Molly Morrison-** Now it's just a matter of whether or not someone will be able to figure things out after the fact.

**amaryllis- **Oh, she's really close. The scene that Harry saw with the dementor is VERY important. It will be explained later.

**Insane Pineapple from Naboo-** Yes, he is certainly a Malfoy. I think that we'll see more of him in the sequel… oh, and a little of him later in this story.

**Saphadeke-** I will say again that I will not abandon this fic, and if I kept everything fluffly for too long, you guys would start to get a sugar headache.


	20. Chapter 20

**A/n: **Once again, I'm sorry for taking so blasted long. Hopefully the chapter itself will make up for how long it took. I thought about ending the chapter sooner and posting earlier, but I think that you guys will be glad that I stuck with the original plan.

**Harry Potter and the Prophecy of the Phoenix- Chapter 20**

Harry landed on a branch next to Fawkes that overlooked the group gathered to defend Hogsmeade from the impending attack.

Immediately, his gaze was drawn to a group of four red-heads and then lingered to a pair that he recognized as Sirius and Remus.

He was suddenly overwhelmed as he realized that what was going to happen tonight was so much bigger than him. He had only been focusing on his part. He had not considered the ramifications of the others going into battle: that he could lose someone else, that Ron could lose a parent or brother.

_"Don't dwell on what could happen, Harry. What is meant to happen will happen, and for now, all you can do is have faith that things will turn out for the best, whatever that may be. You have a task of your own to concentrate on now."_

Fawkes looked deep into Harry's eyes before continuing.

_"Trust yourself, Harry. Trust your instincts, your heart. What you have learned, though necessary, can only take you so far."_

Harry bobbed his head in the equivalent of a nod even as a chill of fear and disbelief trembled through his body.

It was actually going to happen.

Despite all the secrets, all the training, and knowing when the battle would take place for several days, Harry had not truly believed that the moment would ever come, and now it was practically on top of him.

Even now the mass below was organizing itself into smaller tactical groups.

Though the majority of the members seemed to exude the perception of confidence, Harry could feel the generalized feelings of anxiety and urgency emanating from the group as a sort of buzz in his phoenix senses.

Paradoxically, the nervousness coming at him from the outside was a calming influence for Harry.

The knowledge that he was not the only one feeling anxious about the things to come that evening made him feel almost normal.

Even so, it felt as if taloned appendages gripped and violently twisted both his heart and his stomach simultaneously when the groups began to break apart and head for Hogsmeade.

Harry watched them leave, refusing to budge from his perch until the last person left the safety of the meeting place while entertaining the irrational thought that somehow his dawdling could buy him some more time.

Having no further excuse for delay, Harry found himself once again turning his attention to Fawkes, and the silence that transcended the moment was more profound than any parting words could have been.

The pair of phoenixes took off together, and Harry allowed the flight itself to take over his mind. For the moment, the only thing that existed was the feeling of the cool night air as he sailed through the breeze.

All too soon, his flight came to an end.

Sometime during the flight, Fawkes had gone in a different direction, but Harry had been concentrating too much on not thinking that he had not noticed.

Thus, he found himself skulking in the shadows of Hogsmeade alone, taking care that he was in a position that gave him enough cover to morph into his human form without being seen as well as a sufficient view of the center of town and Dumbledore's tactical team.

Harry had deduced that Dumbledore would maneuver himself to be in a position to duel the self-proclaimed Dark Lord, so Harry knew that his best bet for being where he needed to be would be near his headmaster.

Just as Harry began to mull over the idea that Dumbledore would definitely not be pleased with Harry's change of his plans, the quiet night was interrupted by a multitude of popping sounds.

Harry's confidence plummeted as he took in the sea of black robes.

He had thought that the group the Order had gathered was impressive, but the Death Eaters easily outnumbered them two to one.

Horrified, Harry's gaze finally drifted to the only unmasked figure in the center of the black sea, his crimson eyes gleaming wildly with malice and wild anticipation.

A sudden paralysis overcame him even as his brain processed the array of stunning spells fired from the shadows circumscribing the Death Eaters, effectively taking out a good number of Voldemort's supporters who had been caught by surprise.

Harry's scar flared with a searing pain, despite his being in phoenix form, as an outside source of fury hammered into his skull.

Voldemort knew he had been betrayed.

His serpentine eyes narrowed into nothing more than enraged slits, and he aimed his wand at the man he knew to be the traitor with the intent to kill.

A flash of grayish blue light interrupted Voldemort's intentions, forcing him to dodge the spell with the grace of an expert dueler.

Not caring in the least that the curse meant for him hit one of his followers, his gaze moved to the source of the spell.

Dumbledore had emerged from the shadows. His normally kind cerulean eyes were now the color of hard steel, and his long hair seemed to be blowing in a wind that was affecting only him.

"He's mine." Voldemort hissed out to his followers, closing the distance between them exuding a raw power that rivaled that of his venerable opponent.

"Do you really think that you can beat me you old fool?"

"If you're too afraid to face him, Tom, maybe you would prefer to face me instead." Harry spoke firmly, stepping out of the shadows.

"Harry-"

Dumbledore's voice was a mix of horror and anger, but Harry did not give him the chance to finish what he was going to say.

"I'm sorry, sir, but it's time that we finished what we started."

_I really am sorry, professor._

Two columns of flame burst from the ground, swallowing Harry and the Dark Lord, burning brightly for a mere instant before dissipating to reveal only empty space where Harry and Voldemort had once stood.

…

Harry knew before the flames dissolved where the flames had taken them and that somehow he had been responsible for the unusual method of transportation.

Such an endeavor should have left him feeling drained and exhausted. Instead, he felt strangely energized, as if the magic inside of him had suddenly sprung to life, and as the flames vanished to reveal Godric's Hollow, Harry felt a rightness, a completeness, that he had never felt before.

"Was that little parlor trick supposed to impress me, Potter?"

The voice of dark humor that had developed particularly over the last year promptly provided a response inside Harry's head.

_I'd like to see you try it, you psycho egomaniac._

Aloud, his voice found a confidence he was not aware that he had.

"What's the matter, Tom? Afraid to face me now too? Does this place bring back too many bad memories?"

The slits of Voldemort's nonexistent nostrils flared.

Harry could feel the surge of rage through his scar, but the pain barely registered.

"Your mother is not here to save you tonight, boy. _Crucio._"

Harry dodged the curse, knowing somehow that it was not yet time to fight back.

Voldemort fired the curse several more times in rapid succession, and once again Harry's quick Quidditch reflexes as he managed to avoid being hit though a couple of the near misses were quite too close for his comfort.

Harry wanted badly to hold up his end of the fight, but there was something inside of him screaming that he should wait. Besides, his purely defensive strategy was obviously grating on Voldemort's nerves.

"Enough of the foolish games. This ends now. _Avada Kedavra."_

_Now._

A brilliantly white light shot out from Harry's wand, not from any particular spell but an extension of pure magic focused through the wand's core.

Once again, the brother wands connected through the spells, turning both the green and white lights to a golden array of lights.

The phoenix song rang out as their feet left the ground, and Harry knew in that moment exactly what he had to do.

An aura of flame surrounded Harry's body as he released the full extent of his magic into his wand, and Harry's side of the golden beam became almost-blindingly bright.

For the first time, Harry saw a flicker of fear dart across the crimson eyes that had haunted him for so long.

The golden ball that had formed where the spells had intersected moved steadily towards Voldemort's wand, and the wand began to tremble violently.

Echoes of screams intermixed with the phoenix song as the golden ball reached Voldemort's wand.

It was not enough.

Suddenly and unbidden, Ron and Hermione's faces swam inside his synapses, and he remembered how they had stood beside him without proclaiming him a freak or worshipping him as the Boy-Who-Lived. He remembered the Weasleys, who had accepted him into their family, and he remembered Molly Weasley hugging him as a son. He remembered Hagrid as his first friend, McGonagall tucking him in that night in the Hospital wing, and Dumbledore making the time to help him despite the burdens that he already shouldered. He remembered his parents who had risked and given everything for him but still remained with him in spirit. He remembered Sirius and Remus who had offered him a home, who had made him feel wanted.

A new resurgence of power and determination grew inside of him. Just as his mother's love had helped to save him so many years ago, Harry's love for his friends and family would help save them all now.

Harry pushed harder, forcing his own magic into Voldemort's wand.

Both wands began to glow red with heat, and though Harry could feel the wand searing against his skin, he pushed even harder.

An earth shattering crack seemed to rip the fabric of the night sky.

Two identical lightning bolt-shaped fractures had split the sides of Voldemort's wand, revealing that the phoenix feather core was burning.

Twin flames shot from the bolts, and Voldemort let out a primal scream as the flames pierced his eyes and scorched through the inside of his body.

Once again forcing the wands to fight amongst themselves had produced the reverse spell effect, but this time it had been reflected into the Dark Lord.

Thus, Voldemort was now experiencing all the pain he had inflicted on his victims, and the only pause between his shrieks of agony came when he tried to gasp in a breath of air.

Drained, Harry could not hold the connection any longer, collapsing onto the ground as his scar shot indescribable pain into his skull.

Harry's wand slipped from his fingers as scarlet rivulets streaked down his face.

Despite the fact that the connection had been cut, Voldemort's own wand continued its assault, and the flames had finally made their way to the surface, blackening the skin as he had blackened the forearms of so many with his symbol of evil.

Voldemort, despite everything he had done to prevent his death, despite all of the power he had captured, was dying, slowly and painfully.

Harry began to wheeze for air, his surroundings becoming fuzzy, and in a moment of panic, he realized that he was dying as well.

There was something that he had to do before he died.

Harry knew that there was something, but he was in so much pain that he could not think properly.

Voldemort's lower limbs were now turning to ash, and the screaming had stopped only because he had lost the use of his lungs.

In a flash of clarity, Harry remembered what it was that he needed to do.

He had only a split second's worth of time before the black jaws of death claimed both him and the man who had once been Tom Riddle.

The wand that had once been wielded to bring evil and pain upon the world fell, now as dead and useless as the pile of ash that had cradled its landing.

…

The only warning Remus Lupin had before his world was condensed into a bone-trembling agony was a sort of dizzying feeling of nausea and a prickling at the nape of his neck suggesting that there was something or someone behind him.

His muscles tensed in preparation to spin around and confront the danger behind him, but he was too late.

A hand emerged from behind him, eliciting a choked gasp of surprise from the lycanthrope as it cut off most of his supply of air with its crushing grip around his windpipe.

Immediately, the sensation of vertigo multiplied logarithmically, and a dull burning sensation was sinking into the skin of his neck where the hand had made contact. His vision was growing dimmer, and his muscles seemed to have lost the ability to respond to any sort of conscious command. If it was not for the hand, he would have collapsed bonelessly to the ground.

"What's the matter, Remus? Aren't you glad to see an old friend?"

The recognition of the voice sparked an erratic train of thought in the now cottony depths of Lupin's mind.

_Wormtail… hand… Sirius said… Harry saw… silver hand…_

Wormtail's breath was hot against Lupin's ear as he began to hiss words of condemnation.

"How does it feel to be the weak one? To feel like your life is out of your control? You are a monster, and they were better friends to you than they ever were to me. I was only a tagalong, a part of your exclusive group out of pity. Now I hold the power of your life in my hands just as I once held James's."

He was going to die, Lupin realized as the strong silver nails bit into the sides of his neck and drew blood.

"Good-bye, Remus."

Lupin could not hear himself give a strangled yell as blinding pain wracked through him, dominating all of his heightened senses as the silver toxin invaded his bloodstream.

"_Stupefy!_"

A red burst of light hit Wormtail square on the back, and in his surprise, his grip loosed from around Lupin's neck as they both slumped into unconsciousness.

"Moony!"

Sirius raced to Lupin's side, his concern for his friend so complete that his mind had no room to contemplate why, out of all the spells in his magical vocabulary, he had chosen only to send a stunning curse at the rat.

An icy chill, reminiscent of the one that had taken up permanent residence in his body during his stay at Azkaban, swept through him, seeming to freeze time itself.

Lupin looked worse than Sirius had ever seen him. His face had taken on a slightly yellow tinge, and there was a stark black, hand-shaped bruise on his neck stained with streaks of blood still flowing from the five crescent puncture wounds. He was still breathing, but the respirations were erratic, desperate gulps of air.

Sirius's eyes fell to the silver hand, his panicked mind barely acknowledging that he had to get the silver away from his friend before Wormtail's unconscious form was bound and banished what Sirius hoped was a safe distance away.

Sirius fell to his knees beside his fallen comrade, managing only to whisper various combinations of Lupin's name and nickname, hoping against all hope that he would wake up.

Lupin's eye's cracked open, faded with only a vague hint of life behind them, but his breathing seemed to have eased in its fervor with the distance of the silver.

"Sirius-"

Tears began pooling in Sirius's eyes at the sound of the raspy voice forcing out his name, but he forced them back, wanting to be strong for Lupin's sake.

"Shh. Don't try to talk. I'll get you to Madam Pomfrey. You'll be all right."

"No time."

A flood of anger swept over Sirius. His eyes briefly left the sight of his dying friend to Wormtail's still unconscious form, and Sirius made the decision in that moment that the rat would pay for all the suffering he had caused.

"Don't kill him."

Sirius's attention whipped back to Lupin, his eyes gleaming with surprise and concern.

Lupin's breathing was becoming more strained again, but there was an urgency the forced the words from his wounded throat.

"You need… him alive… Harry needs… you free…please… for Harry…"

Lupin's eyes began to drift shut, and though Sirius found his mind screaming and begging the universe for just a little more time, he could not voice any of the words that he so desperately wanted to say.

Instead, Sirius could only seem to find the strength to hold Lupin's hand, as if the physical contact would somehow make the passing easier.

A series of golden tones rippled through the air, dispelling the sensation of imminent death that had permeated the area.

Fawkes appeared out of a brilliant burst of flame, immediately swooping down to land on Lupin's chest.

Singing a song of soothing, Fawkes let a pearly tear fall into each of the crescent wounds.

Sirius felt Lupin's hand tighten in his own for a brief moment and then watched in amazement as the wounds began to heal themselves, the dark bruise began to fade, and the color began to return to Lupin's face.

"Moony?" Sirius whispered in disbelief, his eyes growing quite moist as his friend's eyes opened and the orbs were once more shining with life.

"Take it easy, Padfoot. I think that you're going to crush my hand."

Sirius loosened his grip on his friend's hand but did not let go of it completely. He was still having difficulty wrapping his mind around what had just happened.

"Moony…"

"I'm all right now." Lupin reached out and stroked Fawkes's back. "Thanks Fawkes."

Fawkes bobbed his head in a nod and then disappeared as he had come in the burst of flame.

With the weight off of his chest, Lupin began to push himself up only to be forced back down.

"You shouldn't be moving yet." Sirius admonished.

"Sirius, in case you've forgotten, we're in the middle of a battle. If you won't let me return to the fighting, I'd at least like to find a place with a little more cover."

It was as if Lupin's words had flipped some sort of switch, and Sirius was suddenly aware of the chaos going on not far from where they were.

"Okay, but don't push yourself too hard."

Lupin rolled his eyes even as Sirius helped him up.

"I'm _fine_ Sirius."

Lupin had just made it too his feet when something strange and powerful swept through the air, and even though Lupin could not place it, there was something familiar in the sensation.

Cries of surprise echoed as the Death Eaters reacted to the pain centered on their forearms.

A series of pops resounded as groups of Death Eaters abandoned the fight and disapparated to some unknown location, leaving the stragglers to be easily overcome by the Order.

"We have to find Dumbledore." Lupin voiced firmly.

Sirius wanted to argue, wanted to drag his fellow Marauder to the hospital wing just to make sure he was really all right, but he could see the wolf shining through in Lupin's eyes and knew that there would be no point in arguing with him.

The first few steps Lupin took were shaky, but his pace continued to quicken as he regained his stability to the point that he was nearly running. Something inside of him was urging his forward, telling him that something was horrendously wrong.

The pair of Marauders found the Dumbledore just in time to witness Snape baring the faded and almost-indistinguishable mark on his forearm.

Remus gasped, finally understanding why the sensation seemed so familiar and teetered a bit with the recognition. He barely felt Sirius steadying him as Dumbledore's attention moved to him, and before anyone could voice any words of concern Remus blurted the question that he was sure he did not want answered.

"Albus, where's Harry?"

…

Harry felt a pair of arms surround him before the darkness completely faded from his vision and felt something else forcefully ruffle his hair. When he was finally able to focus his vision, he found himself wrapped in the tight embrace of a red-headed woman and staring in the proud face that was almost an older version of his own.

"Mom? Dad?" Harry whispered, willing it to be true but fearing that they would disappear any moment without warning.

Lily released him, swiping at her eyes as she took a good look at her son.

"We know that you can't stay long, Harry, but we wanted to be here for what little time you have."

Now that Harry had been released, James took the opportunity to take his son into his own arms.

"What you did tonight was amazing, Harry. We're both very proud of you."

Then, deciding that he was being much too sappy, James withdrew one of his hands and ruffled Harry's hair again.

"Hey!" Harry yelped in surprise, jerking out of the one-armed embrace.

James's eyes were sparkling with innocent mischief as if his life had never been tarnished by evil, and Harry could sense the unadulterated love for their child emanating from both of his parents.

In that moment, Harry had found something that he had been searching for his entire life, and while there were no words to describe what puzzle pieces he had just placed in the jigsaw portrait of his life, he felt a bit of the emptiness fade away.

He had to go back.

The sensation began to gnaw at him, and he knew that it was time to leave.

Lily grabbed his hand. "Harry will you deliver a message for us?"

Harry nodded, trying to put off the pull for just a little longer.

Lily smiled, "Tell that mangy mutt and that tired old wolf 'thank you' for me."

Harry turned his attention to his attention to his father, knowing that he would also have a message for his two best friends, and he was not disappointed.

"Tell the remaining Marauders that I'm very disappointed in them. How many times have they been to that school of yours this year, and they didn't pull one prank on Snape?"

Lily swatted at her husband playfully, and as they faded once again, he heard his parents call out to him that they loved him.

Harry felt himself rushing through the darkness, allowing the magical lifeline to guide him until the lifeline seemed to split, pulling him equally in two different directions.

A feeling of dread buried itself deep inside of him.

He knew, somehow he knew, that one direction would lead to his rebirth as a human and the other would lead to his rebirth as a phoenix, but he did not know which one was which.

Both pulls were growing stronger, becoming painful and signaling that there was not a lot of time left.

He had to make a choice.

Trusting his instincts once again, he threw his energy into one of the directions, effectively severing the other.

It felt as if he had been sucked into some sort of magical whirlwind as he tumbled through time and space.

There was a brilliant light and heat only an instant before his spirit was once again enclosed in a corporeal shell.

Harry opened his beak to draw in his first lungful of air and then drew in the magic swirling madly around him.

Flames once again erupted around him, the heat easing the discomfort of stretching of his body inside and out as well as the itching sensation over every inch of skin as scarlet and a small tuft of black feathers spouted from his bald skin.

The magic seemed to die suddenly, leaving Harry winded and completely exhausted.

The fatigue had so encroached itself into Harry's brain that he could remember nothing about who he was or why he was wherever he was. The only thing he knew was that there was a strong instinct burgeoning inside of him, telling him there was somewhere else that he needed to be.

Too drained to travel through the fire, Harry took off into the sky in his mature phoenix form, shaking off the ash that had previously clung to him and praying that he would have enough energy to get home.

…

Three pops interrupted the silence that had once again befallen Godric's Hollow announced the arrival of Dumbledore, Sirius, and Lupin.

At once it seemed as though their gazes were drawn to the pair of wands lying on the ash-covered ground.

"Harry!"

Sirius called out in utter anguish as the three raced to the pair of wands, all desperately wanting to believe that they were not too late.

Reaching the wands, Sirius collapsed onto his knees as if his world had come to an end, unable to believe that he had failed his godson so miserably.

His eyes rose from the wand covered in ash to Dumbledore's face, waiting expectantly for the wizened wizard to put everything right. Certainly there was something that Dumbledore knew that would fix this. Harry was safe somewhere. This was all some sort of secret plan that Harry and Dumbledore had cooked up.

Dumbledore bent and picked up Voldemort's wand, feeling unworthy of touching its brother. His heart leapt at the sight of the lightning-shaped cracks and the burnt core.

Harry had defeated the Dark Lord but at a terrible price.

The sparkle and aura of power had gone completely from Dumbledore's countenance, and he suddenly looked older than his years.

Sirius hung his head in defeat when he saw the pair of tears fall from the now aged blue eyes, and he felt no shame as hot tears of despair streamed down his own cheeks.

"Sirius?"

A hand was placed gently on his shoulder, and Sirius lifted his tear-stained face to see tears trailing down Lupin's face as well.

"Why, Moony? Why couldn't he let us help? Why did he think that he had to do this on his own?"

Neither Lupin nor Dumbledore could answer him, both knowing that there were no words that could soothe the anguish laced in that question.

Dumbledore finally broke the silence, his voice a rough sort of whisper.

"Harry's finally found peace. Let's get back to Hogwarts."

Sirius reached for his godson's wand, clutching it tightly.

"I'm sorry, Harry. You deserved better."

The guilt-ridden words were spoken softly and remained unheard by the other two members of the threesome as Sirius allowed himself to be lifted upright.

_I'm sorry, James. Take care of him now._

With that final farewell, Sirius and the rest of the trio apparated to Hogsmeade.

…

Harry's wings felt enormously heavy, and it was by sheer will alone that he remained in the air. He had to make it home, to the safe place. Only then could he rest.

The visage of a castle loomed in front of him, but it seemed so far away, too far away.

Relief flooded through him as he spotted a large figure walking towards a hut on the castle grounds.

He could make it that far.

Gliding on the air currents, Harry landed completely worn out onto the figure's shoulder.

Startled, the figure jumped slightly before gently collecting the phoenix in his large hands.

"What 'ave we got 'ere? Yeh look plumb tuckered out. Let's get yeh inside."

The voice was kind, filled with grief, and very familiar.

Knowing that he was safe, Harry finally gave into the temptation to rest and fell gratefully into the comfort of a dreamless sleep.

**A/n:** Well, there you go. I hope that it lived up to everybody's expectations. Once again thank you for reviewing! Your kind words are always an inspiration.

**Thanks to: A-Brighter-Dawn, athenakitty, Authoress, Becky, BlackPhoenix, blip-dragon, Braindead, buckers, csalvans, CastusAlbusCor, charlie-potter1, Charma1219, CloudySky, crystal wolfP, Darkness Shattered, egastin77, enb2004, Etzgo, fergiaj, FlyingPixie, Harry/Ginnyfan4ever. HarrySlytherinson, HermioneChick08, hpfanchrissy1502, Illucia, Iniysa, insanechildfanfic, Isis-mystic, Jack-A-Roe, KuTiExAzNxAnGeL, latin-freak, Lil Ole Me 97, moirariordan, LunaLovegood61, Molly Morrison, mysia, Mystic Phoenix, NateP, niner, paradox01, Rioni26, sheepdawggy, Sighing, SkiBum, star, tessbomb65, texasjeanette, The Lady Reaper of the Shadows, Treck, Xcbernine, zorro x**

**Afton-**I'll do the best that I can. Good luck with school.

**Insane Pineapple from Naboo-** That would be funny wouldn't it? As for whether Voldemort is gone permanently… well, you'll just have to see won't you…

**miss sheree- **Snape's opinion of Harry is changing, but it's doing so gradually. Believe me, much more will develop.

**Erra- **The link is up on my author page. Thanks for all your hard work!

**Youngling Milk-** Well, I can't answer most of your questions BUT the Crookshanks comment to Hermione was a clue to her to be on the lookout for an animagus. After all, Crookshanks is famous for knowing that there was something wrong with Scabbers.

**Seaweed Popsicle- **Well, this one is longer. By the way, I spoke to the puppy, and I know who you are… Mwahaha…

**becki- **I don't think that Harry would appreciate simply receiving perfect scores. He likes to earn what he gets. I suppose there will be more dancing with the post of the new chapter.

**Lily Skylo-** Yes, Sirius and Remus were definitely in the battle… I wasn't too nice to Moony was I? Sorry, but it had to be done.

**Spirit Mornea-** Hopefully this ending will not hit you as hard… I did the best to meet your demands that I could.

**Fireborne-** Yay for the brooms! As for Dumbledore, his reaction was an accumulation of a lot of factors: having to lead the resistance (aka sending people that he cares about into battle), being unable to help Snape forgive himself, and knowing that he needed to tell Harry about the prophecy. There's just so much that one person can take. The next update will come out sooner!

**NiciCool-** The sequel will deal with Harry's sixth year, and that's all I'm saying.

**jbcna- **I know how you feel… I will do my best, and we'll just see what happens.

**Xyverz- **So it was a forced burning day, but he did die. I hope that you like it.

**Melindaleo-** I don't know. I think that Harry would want to be mothered every once in a while.

**Von- **There you go… no infant Harry, and put your arm down! Yes, yes, you're absolutely right, but don't go telling everybody. As for the chess thing, that was very perceptive of you! That was indeed a lot of my reasoning! Are you a mind reader? I'm still finding the balance between studying, writing, and sleeping. Man I wish sleeping was not necessary.

**Thunder's Shadow-** Well, I hope that you are okay with Harry not actually dying (yet). I'm not sure if I'm okay with JKR killing him off at the end. He should have a shot at a normal life, but I can see your point. Thanks so much for your kind words.


	21. Chapter 21

**A/n:** Thank you all for your patience! I won't give excuses, but if you need to throw rotten fruit or heavy objects, go ahead. Thanks of course go out to Chava for betaing!

**Harry Potter and the Prophecy of the Phoenix- Chapter 21**

Harry was sort of floating in the place between sleep and wakefulness, and though he knew that he should coax himself awake, he was much too comfortable to force himself back into reality.

He emerged slowly from the comfortable cocoon, finally opening his eyes to accept his return to the waking world.

Expecting to find himself neatly tucked into his usual bed in the hospital wing, Harry battled with a bout of disorientation, and it was not until Harry let out a tone instead of a question that he began to remember what had happened.

He had to change back.

Before he even put together where exactly he was, the desire to return to his human form made itself known.

Harry focused on the transformation, but the first time since he had become an animagus, the transformation would not come. The small surge of magic that gathered inside of him was simply not enough.

"So, yeh finally woke up did yeh?"

_Hagrid._

Recognizing his surroundings now as the inside of Hagrid's hut, Harry relaxed in relief.

What appeared to be a large eyedropper filled with a honey-brown substance made its way into his vision. Due to his previous experience with Hagrid's homemade concotions, Harry eyed it distrustfully.

"Come on, lil feller, open up. It'll make yeh feel better."

Harry allowed Hagrid to offer him the eye dropper. After all, it could not be worse than Polyjuice or Skelegrow, and he had survived those.

The liquid burned at it travel through his throat and traveled down to his stomach, and as Harry sputtered in disgust and discomfort, he was quick to acknowledge that he had severely underestimated the concoction's potency.

"It's a wee bit strong, but it's good for yeh. It'll build back yer strength."

_WATER!_ Harry begged silently, making a mental note to have Dumbledore introduce Hagrid to the _pleasures_ of lemon drops.

A thankful note burst from his throat as a saucer of water was placed in front of him.

After gulping down his fill of water, Harry took a good look at his friend for the first time.

Grief was rolling off of Hagrid in waves, and his cheeks were slightly flushed after imbibing a bit too much.

Summoning his strength, he flapped up to Hagrid's shoulder and curled up upon it.

Trying to soothe his friend, Harry reached out with what little magic he had recovered during his rest.

_It's okay, Hagrid. I'm right here._

Hagrid did not hear the words but felt a warm sensation travel through him, loosening his throat and stomach.

Gently, Hagrid lifted the phoenix from his shoulder and lowered him back onto the makeshift bed.

"Thank yeh, but yeh shouldna be doin' that til yeh get a bit stronger."

Hagrid's thumb began to stroke Harry between the eyes to the top of his head.

At first, Harry felt quite awkward, but it was not long before he found himself giving into the calming ministrations.

An actual sound of protest emerged from Harry's throat when Hagrid stopped to examine him more critically.

"Now, yeh need a name. Have to have somethin' to call yeh."

Harry groaned inwardly.

_Please don't be anything like Fluffy!_

"What do yeh think of Fern?"

_Fern? Like a plant? I'd rather be Fluffy. What in Merlin's name was Hagrid thinking?_

Harry made a sound of protest, hoping that Hagrid would not take it as an acceptance.

"No?" Hagrid sounded disappointed. "I was thinkin' it could be short fer inferno."

Hagrid thought for a moment longer. There was a strange sort of flash in his eyes as he came to a new decision.

"How about Lightnin'? Fer Harry."

The last two words were whispered, and Harry nearly missed them.

Wishing desperately that he could find some way to let Hagrid now that he was Harry, Harry did the only thing he could for his friend and gave him a trill of assent.

Lightning _was_ much better than Fluffy, after all.

Hagrid gave a small, sad smile that deepened into truer one as Fawkes entered the hut in a burst of flame.

"Fawkes has been a might worried 'bout yeh. He's been checkin' up on yeh off and on since yeh got here." Hagrid directed at Harry before addressing Fawkes, "Lightnin' just woke up. I'll let the two of yeh be."

Fawkes landed on the unoccupied portion of Harry's bed.

_"So it's 'Lightning' now, is it?"_ Fawkes teased, seeming both worried and relieved.

_"It's better than 'Fern.' That was his first idea."_

_"How are you, Harry?"_

Harry could feel Fawkes's magic reaching out to him, gently assessing Harry's condition.

_"I'm just really tired, and I can't change back. I really wish that I could change back."_

Sadness welled up inside of him to the point that he thought he would burst, and Fawkes reached out to him again.

_"What you did, speeding up your maturation after being reborn, was incredible but very draining. Give yourself a little time to heal. You'll be back to your old self soon enough. You should rest now."_

Harry wanted to go back to sleep, but there was a question that he did not want but had to ask before he did.

_"Fawkes, what happened at the battle?"_

_"It could have been a lot worse. When you defeated Voldemort, the Death Eaters felt it and disapparated."_

Fawkes paused, and Harry tensed, knowing that he was not going to like what was coming next.

_"There were casualties, Harry. That is an inevitable ugliness of war. Most I believe were unfamiliar to you, but your Defense professor, Mundungus Fletcher, was killed._

Harry bowed his head. He had not known Fletcher well, but he had liked him as a teacher, not to mention that he was only one of two Defense professors who had not wished him harm.

_"The oldest Weasley child was also injured and was taken to St. Mungo's, but I believe that he has already been treated and released."_

Before Harry could begin down the road of feeling guilty for not being there for Ron when his best friend needed him, Fawkes continued with the debriefing.

_"I am pleased to tell you that Wormtail was apprehended and the Ministry has begun the process of freeing as well as making reparations to your godfather. He and Remus Lupin are staying at the castle until everything is finalized for safety reasons, but I think that Albus also wants to keep a close eye on your godfather."_

_"Is he all right?"_

_"He's taking your death hard, Harry. They all are. I don't know if you know exactly how much you mean to them, and I'm not speaking of those who are mourning the Boy-Who-Lived. You are so much more to so many of them."_

Harry looked longingly at the window.

_"I know that you want nothing more than to go to them, but you need to rest and recover. The sooner you regain your strength, the sooner you can transform. Just rest now. Do not worry about the things you cannot control. You've done enough for now."_

Harry was not sure if Fawkes had accented his words with a bit of magic or if it was his own fatigue that finally allowed his heavy eyelids to close in sleep.

_"Rest well, Harry."_ Fawkes whispered gently before disappearing in the same way he had come.

…

The next few days seemed to blur together as Harry lost complete track of time, surfacing from some sort of slumber only for brief periods of lucidity.

Despite the fact that he had completely given into his body's demand to sleep and had continued to choke down whatever it was that Hagrid claimed to be good for him, Harry still felt drained physically and magically.

It was not as if he was not improving, but he was not improving as quickly as he would have liked.

Harry had just slipped back into the first vestiges of sleep when a knock at Hagrid's door ripped him away from the comfortable warmth.

Murmuring a sound of discontent, Harry slit his eyes open to see who had disturbed him but found that whoever was beyond the door was completely blocked by Hagrid's huge frame.

"Alright, yeh two?" Hagrid questioned softly with a hint of sorrow coloring his voice.

Harry could not hear a response, but his heart simultaneously leapt and stopped as Hagrid stepped aside. He voiced a soft tone of distress as his two best entered, both looking as if they had not slept well or at all for several days, and although insomnia was a trait they seemed to share, it was obvious that they were dealing with their emotions in different ways.

Ron seemed withdrawn, his emotions buried deep inside of him as if to hide them from himself as well as others.

Hermione's emotions, however, were right at the surface like an exposed wound, and tears were threatening to spill from her red eyes.

Noticing the unshed tears, Hagrid gently wrapped her in a one arm embrace. As Hermione lost the tenuous hold she had on her tears, Harry found himself paralyzed, unable to fathom why his supposed death had brought such grief.

"There now. Everythin'll be al' right."

Hermione pulled away from Hagrid, her cheeks now flushed and eyes now flashing with anger that had temporarily usurped her grief.

"He promised me! He promised me that he would not go after Voldemort on his own."

Ron moved closer to her, giving her arm a soft squeeze, the look on his face making it obvious that this outburst had not been the first.

Feeling surging of Hermione's pain slice through him like a knife, Harry knew that he had to do something, even if it meant a delay in his recovery.

Flapping away from his bed, Harry landed easily on Hermione's shoulder.

Harry felt the jolt of her surprise move through him even as he let what he had regained of his magic swell and seep into her like a salve onto the open wound.

"Don' yeh worry, Hermione. Lightnin' won' hurt yeh."

"Hagrid, where on earth did you get a phoenix?" Hermione questioned, sounding much more like herself as a sort of calming sensation began to ease into her.

Somewhere in the deep reaches of her thoughts, she recognized the sensation, but the notion was squashed quickly before it could reach the forefront of her mind.

"He's not mine really. I'm jus' lookin' after 'im 'til he gets better."

"What happened to him?"

Hermione reached up to stroke the phoenix perched on her shoulder, her voice holding obvious concern.

"I'm no' sure, but somethin' drained 'im. Fawkes has been awful worried, poppin' in an' out all the time."

Harry was tiring quickly and had no choice to withdraw his magic until its influence was at a mere background level as a result of the physical contact. However, even with the withdrawal, Harry's body began to grow heavy, giving in once again to the command to sleep.

"Hagrid-"

Even as Hermione spoke the warning, the half-giant had begun to move to get the obviously exhausted bird.

"Cum on Lightnin'. Let's get yeh back ter bed."

Harry made a soft noise of protest and gripped Hermione's robes with his talons, not wanting to leave knowing that his mere presence could still be a help to his friend.

Settling down into a comfortable position on Hermione's shoulder, Harry sank heavily into a deep state of sleep.

…

Harry awoke to the sensation of a soft breeze tickling through his feather and the low, worried tones of Hagrid's voice.

"Yeh two don' have ter be in class today."

What surprised Harry the most was that Hermione seemed to consider the option for a few seconds, an option she would normally consider blasphemous.

"Thanks, Hagrid, but it's better to keep busy. It-"

Hermione's voice choked up, and Ron simply nodded in agreement.

_It's all right, Hermione. I'm right here, and I'm really not worth this._

Harry's automatic response to her heightened emotions alerted Hermione to the fact that her shoulder's occupant had awakened.

The beginnings of a smile played at the corners of Hermione's lips as her hand moved once again to smooth the scarlet feathers.

Hagrid sent a worried grin in Harry's direction as he motioned for Ron and Hermione to join their peers, who had begun to gather in front of the hut for class.

Waiting a few moments for the pre-class pandemonium to die down a bit, Hagrid took his position at the front of the class and motioned toward the phoenix on Hermione's shoulder.

"As yeh can see, we 'ave a visitor. Who can tell me what's so special 'bout a phoenix. Hermione?"

Hermione had tentatively raised her hand without knowing why. She had originally planned to coast through the class as a silent observer.

"Phoenixes are known for many things but are most known for having the ability to be reborn from their ashes when they die."

"Too bad Potter wasn't a phoenix." Malfoy remarked with a smug arrogance that betrayed the fact that his family had come out unscathed from the attack.

Ron tensed, ready to fly at Malfoy as his anger and frustration erupted to the surface but was stopped by the horrible sound that shrieked from the phoenix's throat, which loosely translated would have led to a stern lecture from Hermione about his language.

"That was uncalled fer. Thirty points from Slytherin, and report to yer Head o' House now!"

Not paying any attention to Malfoy's unrepentant antics as he left, Harry found himself torn.

Malfoy's words had finally brought Ron's emotions to a plane that Harry could reach, but they had also reopened Hermione's raw pain as well.

Leaving Hermione for Ron would mean abandoning her when she still needed him, but he could not just stay and ignore Ron, whose pain was just as real and desperate as Hermione's.

Unwilling to compromise, Harry temporarily left his perch on Hermione's shoulder, and grasping the fabric of Ron's sleeve in his beak, Harry began to pull on Ron's arm.

"Cut it out. What are you doing?" Ron cried out in annoyance, still itching for some sort of physical release after Malfoy's comment.

"I think Lightnin' has some plans for yeh, Ron. Humor him. See what he does."

It took a couple minutes for Harry to successfully maneuver Ron's arm around Hermione with his hand placed on her shoulder. Satisfied, Harry retook his perch on her shoulder with one foot on Hermione's shoulder and the other on Ron's hand.

For a brief moment, Harry's existence consisted only of two tumultuous streams of emotions. Forcing himself to take a few deep breaths, Harry regained a tenuous hold on the situation.

Both of his friends were beginning to calm when Hermione suddenly started, her brain recognizing that somehow the sensation was familiar.

_That's it, Hermione._ Harry encouraged, relief and hope swelling inside of him. _Put the pieces together._

"Well, I'll be." Hagrid murmured under his breath before continuing with his lesson.

A sense of impatience began to build inside Hermione as the class continued, her mind whirling through all the strange things Harry had done and said, trying to find some sort of pattern.

When the class finally ended, Ron and Hermione found that once again that their winged friend obstinately refused to budge.

"Um, Hagrid…" Ron spoke, completely at a loss.

"That's alright. Take him with yeh, but bring him back later tonight. He hasn't fully recovered yet."

"Thanks, Hagrid." Hermione answered quickly before she began to step hurriedly towards the castle.

"What's the rush?" Ron questioned, despite the fact that his long legs allowed him to keep up with her easily.

"I want to hurry up with dinner. There's something I'm going to need you to help me research."

Ron let out a characteristic moan of exaggerated distress as Harry let out a note of pure joy.

The joy was displaced as they crossed the threshold into the castle.

Something was not right.

Harry suddenly felt as if there was somewhere else that he desperately needed to be, and the sensation grew until he felt almost-ill.

Noticing that the phoenix had suddenly grown fidgety, Hermione spoke softly, "Go on, Lightning. Just remember that we have to take you back to Hagrid tonight."

"Besides, I'd like my arm back." Ron added with a forced lightness.

Harry did not wait for any further encouragement and took to the air, at first relying solely on his senses to guide him to where he needed to be, but about mid-flight, he understood exactly where he needed to be and why he needed to be there.

His flight took on a renewed urgency, and he found himself in the Marauders' guest room in record time.

Both Lupin and Dumbledore were too focused on trying to get Sirius to eat to notice Harry's arrival, and Sirius seemed too despondent, too immersed in his own grief to notice much of anything.

"Leave me alone. I'm not hungry." Sirius spoke, his tone completely lifeless.

"Please, Padfoot. I can't lose you too. Harry wouldn't want you to do this to yourself, especially now that you're finally free."

A bit of caustic anger crept into Sirius's voice as he responded to Lupin's plea.

"What good is that now? Harry was the only reason that my freedom really mattered."

_No!_ Harry argued, his heart almost bursting with his own chaotic emotions as he landed on his godfather's shoulder.

Absently, Sirius tried to shoo the phoenix off of his shoulder, but once again Harry clenched his talons more tightly in a blatant refusal to be budged, determined to be more stubborn than his godfather.

After all, this whole situation was entirely his fault.

"I think that there's someone else who's not going to leave you alone." Dumbledore observed, a faint hint of a twinkle returning to his aged persona.

"Isn't that Fawkes's friend?" Lupin queried.

"I believe so. I haven't seen him since the battle, but I think Hagrid's been looking after him."

"What's he doing here?" Sirius complained, irritated that something else had come between him and his desire to simply drown in his misery.

Lupin found the corners of his mouth turn upward slightly despite himself.

"It looks like he's going to take a nap."

Those were the last words Harry understood before his mind grew too foggy with exhaustion to make out more than muffled sounds and was in a deep sleep when Sirius unconsciously picked up his fork.

…

Although Hermione and Ron had collected the phoenix from Sirius and had returned him to Hagrid, Harry returned to the castle the next morning in time for his lessons.

After all, he still had to prepare for his O.W.L.s, and since he had learned that Dumbledore had postponed the examinations an entire week, Harry had regained his hope that perhaps he would be able to join his classmates, perhaps he would finally get to do something normal.

Snape had scowled when Harry glided into the dungeons and immediately perched upon Neville's shoulder, but he made no comment.

Neville seemed to have lost any confidence he had gained that year, and his hand was shaking as he began to chop his Jimson Weed.

_Relax, Neville. You know what you're doing. Just relax. You don't need me to prove what kind of wizard you really are._

Neville's anxiousness continued to ebb at Harry's continued presence on his shoulder as well as the continued words of encouragement that Neville felt rather than heard.

Neville was just putting the final touches on his potion when Snape approached the younger wizard's cauldron to examine its contents.

Snape studied the potion for a moment before speaking.

"A greatly overdue improvement, Longbottom. Five points to Gryffindor."

A stunned silence fell over the dungeon, and before any of them truly had a chance to recover, Snape barked out in his usual harsh timbre, "Class dismissed."

Silently congratulating Neville on a job well done, Harry rose from his housemate's shoulder and waited to land on Snape's until the two of them were alone.

_Thank you, Professor._

For an instant, Harry was convinced that an actual smile stumbled upon Snape's sallow features before Snape fell back into the role he had played for so long and dismissed the phoenix with a few choice words.

Harry easily caught up with his classmates in the hallway and rode the rest of the way to Transfiguration on Ron's shoulder.

McGonagall raised an eyebrow at the new addition to her classroom before beginning her lesson, but Harry found himself studying her instead of her words.

McGonagall's face seemed more stern than usual, as if she was trying to compensate for something, and Harry could sense a deep, repressed pain undulating from her.

Before even he was conscious of it, Harry found himself on McGonagall's shoulder, noticing that up close she was gripping her wand tightly in an effort to maintain control as she demonstrated how to transfigure seeds into seedlings.

Now that he was in contact with her, his head was swimming with her emotions. Guilt, grief, and anger were carefully dammed behind her sense of duty to her roles as Gryffindor Head of House and deputy headmistress. She had to set the example, remain stolid for everyone else.

Harry's mere presence on her shoulder was melting her barriers, which she struggled in vain to resurrect.

"Continue practicing." McGonagall instructed, knowing that her internal battle had been lost. "I need to step out for a moment."

Once outside the classroom, she strode quickly and purposefully to her office where she finally collapsed into her chair behind her desk and allowed her barriers to fall, hiding her face in her hands as she sobbed silently as if still concerned that someone would see her moment of weakness.

Her tears fell harder as she mourned for those that had died, for her colleague and for Harry. She cried for her failure to keep him safe when she had only had to watch over and protect the students instead of facing the Death Eaters herself. She cried for the life she thought Harry would never get to live and for the unfairness of an existence that would take a child and leave an old woman like her.

_I'm so sorry, Professor. You're not a failure. Sometimes staying behind is braver than facing danger face to face. I should know. I am a Gryffindor after all._

Having cried herself out and now feeling a bit better, McGonagall pointed her wand to her face and erased all signs of her emotional outburst with a quick spell.

As she stood, preparing to return to her class, there was a knock at her door. Upon her bidding the person entrance, Dumbledore stepped into her office.

"Minerva, are you all right?"

"I'm fine, Albus. I just needed to step out for a little bit."

"In all your years of teaching here, I don't recall you ever stepping out during class time."

His eyes were searching her, trying to ascertain the veracity of her words.

"I'm fine." McGonagall repeated, her hand reaching to stroke the phoenix absently.

There was a slight curve to Dumbledore's lips as he spoke, "He does seem to turn up where he's most needed, doesn't he?"

_His eyes are all wrong!_ Harry's thoughts screamed at him. There was that same sort of hint of a sparkle that Harry had seen the day before, but otherwise, they seemed dead.

With a trill that promised McGonagall he would return, Harry moved to Dumbledore's shoulder.

Dumbledore's countenance flashed with surprise, especially in light of his previous observation.

Guilt assaulted Harry with such ferocity that Harry let out a cry of pain. It ran so deep that Harry's death was just the tip of the iceberg, and although Harry knew that his ability to help would barely scratch the surface he knew that he had to do what he could.

_I knew what I was doing. It was my choice. You could not have done anything to protect me._

The golden sound of the phoenix song filled the room, and much to Harry's amazement, the beautiful melody was coming effortlessly from his own throat. An incredible warmth was building inside of him, and an aura of flame surrounded both him and Dumbledore.

Amazement usurped Dumbledore's mountain of guilt as the flames died.

Feeling weak and magically spent, Harry flapped wearily back to McGonagall.

He thought for one hear-stopping moment that he saw hope and recognition in Dumbledore's eyes, but it disappeared quickly, leaving Harry once again to battle disappointment.

"Well," McGonagall spoke, breaking the awkward silence, "I must return to my class and see what mayhem they've managed to cause."

…

Harry had not realized that he had fallen asleep again until he heard Ron and Hermione approach McGonagall's desk.

"Professor McGonagall?" Hermione spoke with a determination in her voice.

"What can I do for you two?"

"We'd like permission to research something in the restricted section."

McGonagall studied the two of them before asking, "Why?"

"Harry said something to me before he-" Hermione choked, unable to finish the sentence. "It may be important. We looked last night and couldn't find what we needed."

McGonagall studied the two of them for a moment more before responding, "Very well, Miss Granger. I trust that the two of you will not abuse the privilege, and do keep in mind that your O.W.L.s are still approaching."

"Thank you." Hermione spoke quietly, both grateful and relieved.

"You're welcome, Miss Granger. If either of you needs to talk, please feel free to see me at anytime."

As both of them nodded, Harry bid McGonagall farewell and retook his perch on Ron's shoulder.

Lunch passed by quickly, and as they were leaving the Great Hall for their next class, Ron was trying to get Harry to go with Hermione to Arithmancy, but Hermione quickly interrupted him.

"No, Ron. Keep Lightning with you. This is your first Divination class since Harry died. Do you think that Trelawney's going to let it slide that she's been predicting Harry's death since our third year and that he actually died?"

Ron paled. "She wouldn't," he whispered without conviction.

Hermione gave him a sympathetic squeeze on the arm. "Go on. I'll meet you after class."

Sighing, Ron trudged up to the Divination classroom. Taking a moment to collect and prepare himself, Ron climbed inside the room, never envisioning the scenario that actually transpired.

Ron jumped as Trelawney screamed.

Trembling, she pointed a finger in the direction of Ron's shoulder and exclaimed "Harry Potter!" before fainting dead away.

Lavender knelt beside the fallen professor while Parvati ran to fetch Madame Pomfrey as Ron looked at the rest of the class and pointed to himself.

"No, Ron Weasley. I think that the old bat has really fallen off her rocker."

Harry sat stunned on Ron's shoulder. Out of all the professors, out of anyone, why did she have to be the one to know who he really was.

No one else would ever believe her.

**A/n:** Normally I would address and thank individual readers at the end. At the moment, I think that would add another couple days of delay, and you all have waited long enough. I will post the response replies at my yahoogroup, and if you don't belong and want to read them, e-mail me, and I'll send you a copy. So, at this time, let me just say thank you to everyone. Your comments are very much appreciated!


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N:** It's finally done! This is just a quick note to all of you to let you know that while this is NOT the last chapter, it is the second to last chapter. It's kind of sad isn't it?

Once again, thank you Chava for taking the time to beta this… and off to the story.

**Harry Potter and the Prophecy of the Phoenix – Chapter 22**

Despite Harry's pessimistic prediction, Hermione had taken Ron's retelling of the incident very seriously, pumping Ron for more details.

"Where exactly did she point?"

Ron sighed in exasperation, "I don't know, Hermione. Just at me. Honestly, she's a nutter. You know that. You're the one who left the class in third year."

Harry saw Hermione's eyes focus on him and narrow slightly before she quickly dragged Ron off to the library once again with a renewed determination.

At first, Ron had willingly accepted Hermione's new research project, willing to do anything as long kept him busy. Now, the novelty of the project was wearing thin, and Ron found himself listlessly scanning the book that Hermione had handed him.

Finally, Ron's last bit of attention snapped, and he slammed the book shut, startling Hermione out of her deep concentration.

"Hermione, why exactly are we doing this? I know that Harry wanted to learn more about his mother's animagus form, but that's pointless now."

Hermione closed her book slowly, anxiety prominent on her features as her eyes darted nervously to the phoenix still perched on Ron's shoulder.

"I don't think that Harry was researching magical animagi because of his mother."

"What are you talking about, Hermione?"

Hermione took a deep breath. "I told you that Harry told me to keep Crookshanks close for a couple of days. I think that was Harry's way of telling me to keep an eye out for an animagus, and there are other things that Harry's done and said this year. I just never put them together, but I had to be sure-"

Ron's eyebrows knit as Harry's talons gripped a little more tightly on his shoulder and Hermione took another breath to steady both herself and her words.

"Ron, I think that Lightning is Harry."

Relief flooded through Harry, a note of unadulterated elation warbling out from his throat.

However, Ron's facial features softened into a look of concern.

"Hermione, you can't do this to yourself. Harry's gone. I know that it's hard, and I don't want to believe it either, but we're both going to have to accept that Harry's never coming back."

Hermione's eyes filled with tears as doubt clouded her features. Her gaze once again fell onto the phoenix perched on Ron's shoulder, and the desperation in that gaze pierced Harry straight through until it reached his soul.

The need to transform once again assaulted and overwhelmed him. Harry glided down to the ground off of Ron's shoulder to the floor, hoping that maybe, just maybe his magic had recovered just enough so that he could change back.

Harry called upon every ounce of magic he had to spare and felt himself begin to stretch in the first stages of the transformation, but it was not to be.

He simply was not strong enough and collapsed back into his animagus form, gasping for air and entirely spent.

Ron's eyes grew wide in disbelief as Hermione began to flip frantically through her stack of books.

"H-Harry?"

Harry managed a tone of misery between gasps of air.

Having found what she had been looking for, Hermione spoke gently but firmly. "Harry, I need you to relax as much as possible. It will make it easier."

She spoke an incantation, and a red jet of light burst from her wand and enveloped the still-gasping form of the phoenix.

The air was squeezed completely out of his lungs as Hermione's magic forced his body to contort and stretch into his human form.

When the spell finally released him, Harry took in a great gulp of air as his knees buckled beneath him, but a pair of hands caught him before he could hit the ground.

"Easy Harry. Just breathe." Ron spoke softly, still in a state of shock.

Unable to control herself, Hermione let out a strangled sob and rushed to her fallen friend, wrapping her arms tightly around him with tears streaming freely down her face.

"Harry James Potter, don't you ever do that to us again!"

Harry wanted to say something, to reassure her, to thank her, but he still could not draw enough air into his lungs and did not have enough in reserve to speak.

"You all right, Harry? You're still not breathing right." Ron spoke with blatant concern as Hermione released her hold on him to inspect him more carefully.

"We need to get you to the hospital wing."

Harry groaned internally even though he knew it to be necessary and managed to whisper, "Ron, can you get my invisibility cloak?"

Ron nodded but did not move, not wanting to leave his friend when he had just gotten him back.

"Go. I'll still be here- please."

It was both Harry's assurance and the fact that his breathing was becoming less panicked that prompted Ron to leave as requested, but that did not stop him from glancing back at his friend to reassure himself of Harry's continued presence.

"I knew that you'd figure it out."

Hermione's eyes suddenly flashed in anger, "You promised me-"

"That I wouldn't do anything stupid," Harry finished. "I'm sorry, Hermione, but I had to. It's a long story. I'll tell you everything- I promise."

Hermione nodded, only somewhat appeased.

"Hermione, why all the research? Why didn't you just look at the map or simply cast the spell on me in the first place?"

"I couldn't be certain how the map would react to a magical animagus. Besides-"

Hermione trailed off as her throat closed, and Harry squeezed her hand in support.

"Besides what?"

Hermione took in a breath of air to steady herself.

"Harry, looking at the Marauder's Map would have meant going into your trunk. I couldn't- and Ron… I couldn't do that to Ron. They tried to take away your stuff, and Ron threw a fit. He didn't take it well, Harry. None of us did, but Ron- I just couldn't ask him to do that."

"And the spell?" Harry prompted.

"Don't tell Ron, but Sirius and Remus weren't exactly honest with him. The reversal spell is fatal to animals that are not actually animagi. Even phoenixes can die if their natural cycle is interrupted. I couldn't cast the spell until I was sure, and I wasn't until you tried to transform."

"My magic hadn't recovered enough yet, but I had to try."

Hermione offered him a soft smile and squeezed his hand that was still wrapped around hers.

…

Ron, in his rush to get back to the library, nearly collided with Remus Lupin due to his inattention.

"Whoa!" Lupin remarked, catching Ron just in time. "Where are you off to in such a hurry?"

"Library. Harry."

With those words, Ron took off again, leaving Lupin to blink a couple of times in surprise before hurrying after him.

He stopped short with a gasp as he saw for himself why Ron had been hurrying.

"Sweet Merlin! Harry?"

Harry quirked a smile. "Hey, Remus."

"I don't believe it. How?"

"It's a long story-"

"And we need to get Harry to the hospital wing." Hermione interrupted.

Immediately, concern clouded over Lupin's curiosity as he studied the young man and crouched beside him. "Are you okay, Harry? Can you walk?"

"I'm okay, Remus. Just really tired."

Lupin nodded, understanding that Harry had neglected to answer the second question because he did not want to betray his weakness.

"I have Harry's invisibility cloak." Ron offered softly.

Lupin took the cloak and draped it over Harry before lifting him into his arms.

"Relax, Harry. We'll get you to the hospital wing in no time."

Harry did lean him head into Lupin's shoulder as Hermione and Ron took positions in front of Lupin to hide the fact that their former professor was obviously carrying something.

"Poppy!" Remus called immediately upon entering the hospital wing, which was mercifully empty.

The mediwitch bustled out of her office, obviously concerned by the urgency in which her name had been called.

"What's going on- Good heavens!"

The exclamation came as Lupin gently placed Harry on a bed and removed the cloak.

Recovering from her shock quickly, Pomfrey ordered all of them out while she examined him, and Harry called out a request for them to return with Sirius, Dumbledore, and McGonagall.

…

"Sirius!"

Lupin practically skidded into the temporary quarters that the two were occupying, earning him a rare interested look from his recently despondent friend.

"Sirius, you need to get to the hospital wing immediately! It's Harry!"

Sirius went white as his blood ran cold and drained from his face.

"They found his body?

"No, he's alive. Poppy's looking over him right now, but he's going to be all right."

Sirius looked at his fellow Marauder in utter disbelief, "That's not funny, Remus."

Lupin gripped both of Sirius's shoulders. "I would never joke about that, Sirius. You know that."

Sirius backed away from his friend and out of his grip, simply staring at him wide-eyed.

"Harry?" He whispered, still not believing what he had been told.

Lupin nodded, and at this nod, Sirius immediately transformed into Padfoot and bounded off at top speed towards the hospital wing.

The only warning Harry received to alert him to his godfather's arrival before Sirius's arms encircled him tightly was a choked calling of his name.

"I thought that you were dead! I thought that I'd lost you!" Sirius spoke in anguish, not caring that tears of relief had begun to stream down his face.

"It's all right, Sirius." Harry spoke the words softly, sensing that it was not the right moment to inform his godfather that he had indeed died.

Sirius simply held Harry tighter, not releasing him until a startled gasp and exclamation shattered the temporary reality that had only encompassed the pair.

Dumbledore and McGonagall had appeared in the hospital wing doorway, and unlike Sirius, they had been completely unprepared for what they would find.

Dumbledore made the first move, stepping slowly towards Harry with an uncharacteristic look of pure amazement.

"Harry?" Dumbledore breathed in a voice that barely rose above a whisper.

This time, Harry simply nodded in response, startled at the tears that were shining unshed in Dumbledore's eyes.

The moment was broken when Madam Pomfrey hurried back with a tray of various goblets, and Harry saw as McGonagall also stepped into the room the Ron, Hermione, and Lupin were all just outside the door.

Ignoring Harry's sigh as he eyed the sheer number of goblets, Pomfrey turned her attention towards the headmaster.

"I know that you're going to need to talk to him, but his magical reserves are quite low. He's going to need to rest."

"We'll make it as brief as possible." Dumbledore promised.

Pomfrey seemed less than satisfied but nonetheless collected the empty goblets, leaving Harry with his audience of six, which was now gathered around his bed.

Before anyone could say anything, Fawkes popped into the room with a burst of flame, singing a couple of notes before landing on Harry's shoulder.

Harry's senses opened on instinct as he felt the phoenix's warmth sink into him, and though he could not hear Fawkes's words in his human form, he could feel the concern for his welfare and the sense of precaution Fawkes was urging him to take.

His gaze rose to meet the now knowing eyes of his headmaster.

"Sir, if you wouldn't mind, would you put up a silencing charm?"

Harry could not quite find the words to explain his request, but they were not necessary as Dumbledore simply smiled at him benevolently, nodded, and cast the spell.

"I take it that you have quite the story for us, Harry. Are you well enough to tell it?"

Harry nodded, nerves beginning to irritate his stomach, which was now uncomfortably full with healing potions.

"Are you sure, Harry? We can wait if you need us to." Sirius spoke up, taking Harry's hand as if needing the physical contact to remind him that his godson was actually still there.

"I'm okay, Sirius, really. It's just- It's long and complicated, and I'm not sure exactly where to begin."

"I've often found that the beginning is often a good place to start." Dumbledore stated with the twinkle back in full strength in his eyes.

Harry knew exactly what he wanted to say, but he could not bring himself to speak, feeling hot tears begin to pool in his eyes and his throat close to hold back the sobs of release that so desperately wanted to escape him.

A sense of disgust rose within him in response to his perceived weakness. He had no right to break down, having caused so many people so much pain because of his lies and half-truths.

Fawkes warbled another warm note, but this time Harry closed his senses, not feeling as if he had the right to accept the phoenix's calming ministrations.

The soft squeeze of a hand on his unoccupied shoulder drew his attention back to Dumbledore's searching gaze. Seeming to sense Harry's discomfort, Dumbledore took the first step in opening the floodgates.

"How long have you been an animagus?"

"Since last September." Harry murmured, unable to hide his wince as his godfather's grip tightened around his hand in anger.

"So you faked everything that happened during your animagus lesson? Why didn't you just tell us that you were already an animagus?"

"I couldn't." Harry responded, guilt tarnishing the timbre in his voice.

"I also have no doubt that Harry's reaction to your lesson was very real." Dumbledore cut in, trying to draw Harry out of the shell that he was drawing himself further and further into. "I don't know of anyone else who has managed to transform so entirely into a form that was not their own, but I do know those who have experienced similar endeavors reported that the results were most unpleasant."

Sirius sputtered out the words, "Wrong form?" as Harry nodded in response to Dumbledore's statement and then added a few soft words of his own.

"I'm a phoenix."

"Fawkes's friend." Remus breathed with sudden realization.

Once again Harry simply nodded, and this time, it was McGonagall, who had finally found her voice, that commented.

"But that's an amazing accomplishment. Why keep that a secret?"

Harry noticed that even though she seemed impressed, she also seemed a bit uncomfortable, and he had no doubt that she was remembering what had happened when she stepped out of class. Pretending that he could not see her discomfort, Harry simply responded to her question.

"Because I was told that my life depended on it."

"Who told you that, Harry?" Dumbledore asked, frowning as if contemplating all of the possibilities.

"Fawkes." Harry responded as the phoenix trilled on his shoulder. The phoenix's name seemed to be the key that released the damn, and Harry found himself telling them about everything from learning about the prophecy to recounting the final battle with Voldemort and his rebirth.

When he finished, a sudden wave of fatigue descended upon him, and he collapsed back onto his pillows, completely spent and unaware that his audience was staring at him with various expressions of astonishment and awe.

Dumbledore started to reach for him again but this time withdrew his hand, feeling unworthy of establishing a closeness with the teen much like he had felt unworthy of touching Harry's wand the night Harry had defeated Voldemort.

Dumbledore opened his mouth a couple of times, but when he was unable to find words that were even slightly adequate to express his pride or his guilt, he settled with simply voicing, "Thank you, Harry. We'll let you rest now."

Sirius looked as if he was about to argue, but Harry beat him to it.

"Could Sirius and Remus stay a little longer?"

"Of course, but do get some rest." Dumbledore once again started to make a movement towards him, but stopped himself, offering only a smile instead.

Fawkes was the first one to speak his good-bye, trilling shortly before moving to Dumbledore's shoulder, and after a couple of minutes, Harry found himself alone with the Marauders.

Fatigue was pulling at him, but he wanted to get one last thing out before he succumbed to the sleep that his body was demanding.

"There's one more thing that I wanted to tell you." Harry spoke, forcing his eyes to stay open. "When I died, I saw my parents, and they wanted me to give you a message. Hold on a minute. I want to get this exactly right. Mom said to tell the mangy mutt and the tired old wolf thank you, and Dad said to tell the remaining Marauders that he was disappointed in them because in all the times you've been here you haven't played one prank on Snape."

Though they both had seemed touched by Lily's message, the message from James sparked instant mischievousness in Sirius's eyes especially, and there seemed to be a silent communication between the pair of Marauders.

"I don't want to know what the two of you are thinking about, but could you at least wait until after the O.W.L.s?"

Remus grinned in such a way that Harry was no longer sure Remus was not dangerous except during the full moon. "You don't understand, Harry. We couldn't tell James 'no' when he was alive, much less deny him his last request."

"Besides," Sirius added knowingly, "You'll thank us later."

Harry wanted to argue but could not longer overcome his exhaustion and found himself slipping away far into the depths of slumber.

…

_Red eyes shone in the darkness, which receded enough so that Harry could make out the serpentine features of Voldemort's face._

_Harry yelped as his scar suddenly exploded with pain, and he barely heard the hiss of Voldemort's voice through the roaring of his ears._

_"It's not over, Harry Potter."_

"Harry, wake up!"

Harry sat up in bed, gulping for air as his hand went immediately to his scar.

"Are you all right, Harry? Is it your scar?"

Harry moved his hand away from his scar, realizing that the pain had not followed him from his dream and was surprised to find his movement a little shaky.

"No, I'm fine. It was just a dream."

Blue eyes searched him with obvious concern before Dumbledore spoke again.

"It seems Harry that we've come full circle. If my memory serves me correctly, we started this year the same way with you having a nightmare and me waiting to somehow explain to you how I could have failed you so atrociously."

"You didn't-"

"But I did. Despite how proud I am of what you've managed to accomplish this year, you should have never had to endure it alone, but I was selfish and scared. I could not bear to steal the last traces of your innocence away, and because of that, I made your burden even harder to bear. I really am sorry, Harry. I wish…"

Dumbledore trailed off as twin tears fell from his eyes and became entangled in his beard.

"Professor, don't apologize. Really, it's okay. Everything worked out in the end."

"The end does not justify the means, Harry."

These words came out almost as a whisper, and Harry took the time to notice how old and how tired the man sitting at his bedside appeared.

"You know, Hermione told me something earlier in the year that I think I should share with you. You're only human."

Dumbledore actually chuckled, more out of astonishment than anything else.

A tentative smile started to form on Harry's face when an ice-cold panic rushed through his veins.

"Harry?" Dumbledore questioned, gripping the young man's arm without his previous hesitation, knowing that something was wrong.

"I forgot- I mean, it's not as important as it used to be- but I can't believe that I forgot-"

"Calm down, Harry. What did you forget?"

"What I told all of you-"

Immediately, Dumbledore understood and broke in before Harry could become even more upset.

"Just relax. We understood that you wanted to keep what you said in our confidence when you asked me to put up a silencing charm, although I must say that Professor McGonagall was most distressed that we would be unable to share with Professor Trelawney that she was indeed correct."

With Dumbledore's assurances and Harry's knowledge that there was no love lost between McGonagall and Trelawney, Harry felt himself relax.

Dumbledore seemed only then to recognize consciously that he had initialized physical contact with Harry and quickly removed his hand, attempting to excuse the movement by arranging Harry's pillows behind him.

Harry leaned back into the pillows gratefully, unaware that he had closed his eyes until he felt himself drifting off. Not ready to fall asleep again so soon, he opened his heavy eyelids.

"Sir, may I ask you a question."

"Of course."

"Why didn't you want to believe it was me? I know that you recognized my magic after I sat on your shoulder, and I know that Professor Trelawney isn't always credible, but still…"

"I did want to believe it was you, Harry, very much so, maybe even too much so. I convinced myself that I was seeing and sensing things because I wanted to. I-"

For the second time that evening, Dumbledore became too choked up to finish his response.

"It's all right. I understand." Harry fidgeted for a moment in the uncomfortable silence that had draped heavily around them before blurting out, "What am I going to do about my O.W.L.s?"

"You'll have to postpone them, I'm afraid. Your magic has been understandably drained, and I'm not about to put your recovery in jeopardy for the sake of a few tests."

"But couldn't I take the written parts with the others and the practical parts that don't require magic?"

Dumbledore looked deeply into the emerald depths of Harry's eyes, trying to find the reason why taking the O.W.L.s on time was so important to him when most of his peers would have been grateful for the delay.

_Please let me be normal. I'm so tired of being a freak._

The words were soft, tickling their way into Dumbledore's thoughts, and Dumbledore could not be sure that he had not imagined them.

"What practicals are you thinking about?"

"Potions, Herbology, Care of Magical Creatures, and Divination."

"I will consider letting you take the written portions as well as the practicals for Potions and Herbology, but I'd rather you wait to take your Care of Magical Creatures practical considering Hagrid's taste in… interesting creatures. I'd rather have your magic at your full disposal just in case. As for Divination, your being allowed to participate without the full use of your magic would be insulting to Professor Trelawney." Dumbledore looked over his half-moon spectacles directly at Harry. "If I allow you to do this, it will be under the condition that you put your recovery above studying for your O.W.L.s. If I see that you're pushing yourself to the point of your detriment, I will not hesitate to withdraw the offer. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir. Thank you."

Harry felt his eyes closing again of their own accord.

"You should go back to sleep, Harry. We can talk again later."

"You should get some sleep too, sir. You look tired."

"I promised your godfather that if he left and got some sleep that I would stay with you. Besides, I doubt that I could sleep after all that has happened today."

Harry's eyes were half-closed, so Dumbledore could not see the sparkle that glinted momentarily in them.

"There are plenty of empty beds here. I'm sure Madam Pomfrey would not mind if you used one, and I'm sure she'd be more than happy to fetch some Dreamless Sleep Potion for you."

Harry felt gentle hands guide him back into a supine position and heard his headmaster whisper quietly, "Don't even think about it, Harry."

A sudden and unexpected worry assaulted Harry, causing him to force his eyes open again.

"What am I supposed to tell people when they ask where I've been? I never thought…"

"It's all right, Harry. Let me worry about that. Just sleep now."

The last thing that Harry wanted was to add to Dumbledore's overly large burden, but he did not have the strength to argue and simply acquiesced with an affirmative murmur.

"Sleep well, Harry."

Harry's mouth moved to form the words, "You too," but the movements were slow and uncoordinated, not to mention the fact that his voice would not work.

That was the last thing that he knew before the need to sleep drowned him once again.

…

"Potter! I should have known that you had a part in this!"

The fuming of his Potion's professor, who sounded completely unsurprised to see that he was not dead, demolished Harry's blissful sleep. Suppressing his own frustration, Harry reached blindly for his glasses and slipped them on as he sat up and opened his eyes.

For a moment, Harry thought that he was still dreaming and was unable to do anything but stare.

Snape's greasy hair and his robes were a stark scarlet against his now metallic, golden skin.

Harry's mouth worked like a fish for what seemed like an embarrassingly long amount of time before he blurted out, "Professor, what did you do?"

"What did _I_ do? Tell me Potter, why do you think that immediately after my appearance changed I found myself forced to travel to your bedside?"

_Thanks a lot, Dad. You just couldn't say thank you like Mom did, could you._

Madam Pomfrey rescued Harry before the flustered teen could sputter out some inadequate explanation.

Honestly, Severus, the child has not moved from this bed and was resting peacefully until you barged in with your unfound accusations. He's in no condition to get worked up right now, so I must insist that you leave.

Snape glared, narrowing his eyes with the obvious intent of informing Harry that he knew better than to believe that the latter was completely innocent, and whirled around to head towards the exit with as much dignity as he could muster, revealing the flashing words on the back of his robes that read, "For Prongs."

The animosity that had begun to build inside Harry faded with the sight of the words. Even though he was well aware that there would be consequences later, he felt himself oddly moved by the gesture, and he could not help but reminisce on everything they had done for his parents… and for him.

With his body on autopilot, Harry was barely aware that Madam Pomfrey had handed him a goblet or two and had ordered him back to sleep after he had downed the contents.

The sound of a throat clearing in irritation jerked Harry out of whatever realm his thoughts had taken him, and when his vision focused, he found himself faced with identical red-headed figures staring at him with their arms crossed.

For some reason, Harry felt more nervous at the sight of the obviously annoyed Weasley twins than he had upon awakening to the obviously furious Snape.

"I think that he's been holding out on us, George."

"What are you talking about?" Harry questioned, feeling his anxiety heighten.

"What are we talking about?" George asked as if he could not believe Harry had asked the question.

"I believe we should remind him, brother dear"

"That in his Third Year"

"We gave him the Map"

"One of our most prized possessions."

"We told him that the Marauders were our idols"

"And to our shock"

"We just saw Professor Snape leaving the Hospital Wing"

"I'm sure we don't need to remind you what was written on the back"

"And since Snape obviously thought you were involved in such a brilliant prank"

"We could only come to one conclusion:"

"That you know who the Marauders are and never told us!"

The last part was spoken in unison, and Harry could not help but feel a little dizzy as the twins seamlessly traded off the details of their grievance.

"Oh." Harry answered simply.

He did not say more until both of the twins cocked an eyebrow while querying, "Well?" with obvious expectations in their voices.

"Where do you want me to start?" Harry asked innocently, receiving the identical looks of irritation that he had been aiming for.

"Prongs." Fred prompted.

Harry found himself grinning, "Prongs was my dad."

The looks of irritation melted from the twins' faces, and both sets of arms unfolded as they stared at Harry in admiration.

"You're the son of a Marauder?" George voiced in a near-whisper.

At Harry's nod, Fred took over the conversation.

"Well, now we know that the map is where it rightfully belongs."

"Who are the others?"

"Padfoot is Sirius Black, and Moony is Remus Lupin." Harry concluded, purposely leaving out the final name.

"Did you hear that, George? We were taught by a Marauder!"

"No wonder we had such a hard time pranking him."

"What about Wormtail?"

Harry's face hardened, the grin sliding off his face as if it had never been there. "Wormtail is Peter Pettigrew."

"No." George voiced in denial as both twins suddenly looked disillusioned.

"I can't believe that a Marauder would-" Fred cut himself off sharply as if realizing exactly who was sitting in front of him. "I'm sorry, Harry."

"It's all right. I learned about it a long time ago. At least Sirius is free now."

Both nodded somberly as if their world had just been shattered.

George was the first one to find his voice, "While we're being serious, Harry, it's good to have you back."

"Yeah, are you feeling better?"

Not knowing what they had been told, Harry answered nondescriptly, "I'm fine, just sick of feeling tired all the time."

"You should have seen the Great Hall this morning when Dumbledore made the announcement that you were alive."

"It was mayhem." Fred finished proudly, a bit of mischief making its way back into his features.

Harry managed a half-smile as a heavy wave of drowsiness crashed over him.

One of the twins slipped off Harry's glasses, revealing that his eyes had already closed, as the other helped him lie down.

He was treading in the deep murkiness that marked the transition between his conscious and subconscious mind when he heard soft voices speak to him.

"Don't go to sleep just yet, Harry."

"We need you to sign this."

"Just take the quill."

"That's right. Now sign your name."

"Excellent. Sleep well, Harry."

When Harry awoke again, he could only remember that he had fallen asleep while talking to Fred and George. The rest of what had happened was dismissed by his mind as nothing more than an inconsequential dream.

**A/N:** Well, that's it for now. I will post the review responses for this chapter and the previous at my yahoo group… I promise! Thank you to all of you who reviewed, and please, while constructive criticism is welcomed, flaming is just plain mean. One more chapter to go!


	23. Chapter 23

**A/n**:Well everyone, this is the end of this part of the saga. Yes, there will be a sequel. Please see the author's note at the end for more information.

Chava, you've been a life saver as well as a fantastic beta reader! Thanks for putting up with me and my quirks!

**Harry Potter and the Prophecy of the Phoenix – Chapter 23**

Harry was finally released from the hospital wing just in time for him to take the written portion of his Defense Against the Dark Arts O.W.L. Even though the queasy rolling of nervousness in his stomach was questioning his decision to beg Dumbledore not to give him an extension, a larger part of him was relieved that he was there with his classmates instead of locked away in the hospital wing.

He was certain that Sirius and Madam Pomfrey had engaged in a silent competition of who could smother him the quickest. At first he did not mind their obsessive attention, after all it was his fault that they had been mourning his death, but as his time in the hospital wing began to stretch, the more he felt that they were stretching the limits of his temper.

Having been raised by the Dursleys, Harry was used to being independent, and the constant coddling he had received from the pair had almost driven him mad.

His friends had been little better.

Harry was certain that Hermione had been taking lessons from Molly Weasley to the point that she of all people was strictly regulating the time he spent studying so that he did not overdo it, and Ron, who Harry usually depended upon to keep Hermione's obsessions in check, was also treating him with kid gloves. The slightest little thing had him asking Harry if he needed to get Madam Pomfrey, who very quickly became the last person Harry wanted to see.

Dumbledore, who visited often, was absolutely no help, his blue eyes shining with humor at everyone's antics and Harry's obvious frustration though Harry was very aware that there was still something off with his mentor.

Remus, however, had been a lifesaver. With his experiences involving coddling due to his full moon episodes, Remus's empathy had moved him to act on Harry's behalf, interceding with some sort of distraction whenever he saw that Harry's patience was wearing too thin.

In fact, if it had not been for Remus, Harry was sure that his godfather would have been following him around until the end of the school year. Somehow, Remus had convinced Sirius that they should return to their new house after Madam Pomfrey had declared Harry fit. When Sirius had opened his mouth to protest, the other Marauder had decided to play dirty and point out that Harry's room was still unfinished, and certainly as Harry's godfather, he could not allow Harry to come home to an unfinished room, could he?

Harry visibly started out of his ruminations at the sight of Dumbledore entering the classroom.

He had known for some time now that Professor Fletcher had been killed in the battle at Hogsmeade, but Dumbledore's presence in the classroom instead of Fletcher's somehow made it more real, more concrete.

The squeezing of his hand turned Harry's attention to Hermione's worried gaze.

"It's okay, Hermione. I just forgot for a minute." Harry whispered, rushing to assuage any agitation that his reaction had caused her. If the dark bags under her eyes were any indication, Harry figured that the O.W.L.s had her stressed enough.

When he moved his gaze back to his headmaster, he found that Dumbledore's eyes seemed to be boring straight through him, an indication that the elder wizard had also seen Harry's discomfiture.

Harry managed a nervous half-smile and nodded subtly, communicating that he was okay.

Dumbledore held his gaze a moment longer before expanding his attention to the rest of the class.

"Welcome to your first O.W.L. I'm sure that the older students have shared with you embellished horror stories and that your teachers have stressed the importance of these exams all year, but the truth is that this is only one test. In the grand scheme of things, this test is not as important as the work that all of you have put into your studies, so simply do your best. That is all anyone can ask of you and all that you can ask of yourselves. Does anyone have any questions?"

The silence in the room was broken only by the sounds of nervous fidgeting.

"Very well."

Dumbledore pointed his wand at the stack of exams in his other hand, and immediately they scattered to distribute themselves to the class.

"You may begin."

Harry quickly scratched his name on the top of his exam, and as he read the first question on the test, he found himself genuinely smiling.

_Describe the differences between a werewolf and a normal wolf._

Harry's quill moved frantically across the page in an effort to keep up with the tidal wave of information that was flooding out of his brain.

The questions, answers, and hours flew by as Harry delved deeper into the exam, and even though there were some questions that Harry felt more comfortable with than others, at the end of the exam, he was feeling both generally fatigued and satisfied.

He glanced around the room and saw that Ron and several other of his classmates had very round, widened eyes that clearly communicated the thought, _what in the bloody hell was that thing!_

Hermione, however, looked strangely disappointed, and Harry could only assume that the test had not lived up to her expectations of difficulty.

Dumbledore summoned their exams and dismissed them, wishing them luck on their afternoon practical.

Harry stood, probably a little too quickly, and found himself a little more unsteady on his feet than he would have thought.

Ron gripped his friend's arm immediately even though Harry had managed to steady himself on the desk in front of him with the light support of his hand.

"Harry?" Hermione asked softly, looking concerned.

"I'm fine, just got up too fast." When Hermione did not look convinced and Ron's grip did not get and looser, Harry added, "Besides, I can nap this afternoon while you're taking your practicals."

Sensing the tease, Ron released Harry's arm and fake punched him where he had been previously gripping him, effectively stopping Dumbledore in his tracks as he halted his advancement towards the unmoving trio to watch them curiously.

"Don't rub it in." Ron grumbled as his vocal response to the banter.

"Come on," Hermione broke in bossily, "let's get lunch, and then it's off to bed for you.' She made an indication towards Harry as she spoke, "You don't want to be exhausted for your next exam."

"She's one to talk." Ron whispered conspiratorially in Harry's ear, apparently not auite soft enough to escape Hermione's earshot even though she had taken a few steps towards the door.

Hermione spun around instantly with her hands at her hips. "What was that?"

"Nothing, let's go get lunch. I'm starved." Ron managed to stammer out as the tips of his ears began to turn scarlet.

Harry lagged behind his two friends just long enough to signal to Dumbledore that he was all right, mentally acknowledging the still-disbelieving smile he received in response before easily catching up with his friends.

…

The O.W.L.s flew by, tests and days blurring together until Harry found himself in his Potions practical, the last test he would be allowed to take until Madam Pomfrey gave her consent.

He caught Neville's eye and smiled encouragingly at his study partner, despite the fact that his stomach seemed to have twisted itself into a series of knots.

After learning that Harry was alive and was still planning on taking his Potions O.W.L. on time, Neville had begun to visit Harry in the hospital wing as well with his Potions notes and book in hand. Although Neville seemed a little nervous at first, the two had quickly fallen back into their routine.

Neville did not quite manage to respond with a nervous smile, despite the fact that he had confided in Harry that he thought the written part had gone fairly well.

Snape silenced any quiet murmurings of anxiety as he whisked to the front of the room.

"Unlike most of your classes, I am not interested in seeing how well you can memorize. The purpose of this practical is for you to demonstrate the skills that you have developed through the years. Each of you will receive instructions on how to brew potion that you have not seen before but is at an O.W.L. level of difficulty, and please note that it will do you no good to look over at your neighbor's station as each of you will receive a different potion."

"I thought Fred and George were _kidding_!" Ron hissed under his breath, loudly enough only for his immediate neighbors to hear.

Snape smirked at the students' looks of astonishment.

"When you receive your instructions, you may begin."

Blocking out the sounds of his classmates diving into their potions, Harry decided to take the time to read his instructions carefully.

It did not take long for a rush of anger to wash over him as he mentally came up with creative and foul vituperations to describe his Potions Master.

Snape had not provided the name of the potion that he had assigned Harry, but whatever it was, it was definitely not an O.W.L. level potion.

Biting back his fury, he was only able to half pay attention to the instructions in front of him until he got about half-way through the instructions and his mind rebelled.

According to his instructions, he was supposed to add essence of lavender immediately after adding the monkshood, but that just could not be right. Essence of lavender and monkshood would cancel each other out without some sort of buffer to stabilize the monkshood. In order to do that, he would need to added equal quantities of ground juniper roots, which meant that Snape had either made a mistake or had found yet another way to insure that Harry failed.

Knowing that Snape could fault him for not following the instructions just as easily as faulting him for not catching the mistake, Harry made the decision immediately to add the juniper roots.

If Snape was so determined to fail him, Harry was going to make it as hard as possible for him.

With that resolution, Harry found himself once more enmeshed in the instructions for his potion, righteous anger banished to the back of his mind for the moment because if he was going to have a shot of pulling this potion off, he was going to need his full attention on the potion preparation.

He was not even a quarter of the way through his instructions an hour later when Neville, looking relieved and somewhat triumphant, stood to turn in his potion and was quickly followed by Crabbe and Goyle.

Thus began the steady migration of students from the dungeons, and Ron was the first of the trio to leave a mere ninety minutes into the examination.

Harry was barely aware of just how bare the dungeons were becoming because he was so focused the intricacies of his potion until about three hours after the start of the exam when he happened to look up to find that only he, Hermione, and Draco Malfoy were left. It was only a few minutes later that Malfoy turned in his potion, sneering at the remaining pair of Gryffindors as he left.

Harry had finally reached what he had estimated to be his half-way point about thirty minutes later when he heard Hermione sigh with relief and bottle her potion.

Hermione turned in her potion, looking just as bit as tired as Harry felt, and shot him a questioning gaze.

"That will be all, Miss Granger." Snape spoke sharply, and Hermione exited, albeit with reluctance, as instructed, leaving Harry alone with Snape.

After that, Harry completely lost track of time, finally slumping back into his chair in relief when he hit a ten minute respite where the potion simply had to simmer.

He did not see that Snape had risen from his desk until a goblet suddenly appeared on his workbench.

As Harry looked up at Snape in confusion, Snape answered his question before it could be asked aloud.

"It's just water, Potter. You looked like you could use some, and if I'm not mistaken, you have a ten minute break."

Harry nodded, completely dumbfounded, and Snape's lips twisted into a smirk.

"Don't worry. It's not spiked with anything."

After somehow muttering out his thanks, Harry drank slowly from the goblet. Yard work at the Dursleys' had taught him that gulping the water would only make him sick.

"Are you all right to continue, Potter? I may have overestimated your recovery. I can arrange a make-up test if you need to stop."

Harry simply could not tell if he was being genuine or sarcastic, and so his answer was made based on the fact that he definitely did not want to do this again.

"No, I'm almost done."

"Then I believe that your ten minutes has almost passed."

Harry's eyes followed the man for only a moment before returning to his potion, knowing that he had no time at the moment to try and decipher the riddle of what had just happened.

Finally, after finishing one last series of complicated steps, Harry moved to bottle his potion when Snape stopped him.

"Leave it. It has to stay on the heat for another twelve hours, and then it has to cool for another two before it can be bottled. I'll take care of that."

Harry stood, thinking that at last he was done and feeling exhausted and irritated.

"Potter, before you go, why did you add the juniper root?"

"Because the essence of lavender would have canceled out the monkshood."

Harry spoke the words tersely, wanting only to leave and thinking that Snape was purposefully goading him. Without another word and without looking back Harry escaped the dungeons, not seeing the rare genuine smile that crossed Snape's face.

He had just barely made it up the stairs when he heard his name being called and found himself face to face with his headmaster.

"Harry, are you all right? Your friends came to see me when you hadn't returned to Gryffindor Tower."

"I'm fine. I just finished my Potions O.W.L."

Dumbledore's right eyebrow reached toward his hairline.

"Just now?"

Harry nodded as Dumbledore frowned.

"What potion did Professor Snape give you?"

"I don't know- a long one." Harry snapped bitterly, regretting his tone as soon as the words left his mouth. "I'm sorry, sir. I'm just a little tired."

"It's all right, Harry. Your reaction is quite understandable." Dumbledore smiled kindly at the teen. "If I'm not mistaken, the celebration marking the end of the O.W.L.s and the N.E.W.T.s is still going strong in the Gryffindor Tower. Go enjoy yourself."

"Thanks," Harry murmured, feeling incredibly guilty before hurrying away.

Instead of turning around, Dumbledore continued his trek into the dungeons.

"Severus." Dumbledore intoned with a little bit of edge to alert the other man to his presence.

"Good evening, headmaster. What can I do for you?" Snape questioned a bit too formally as if he already knew the answer.

"I came looking for Harry. His friends grew concerned when he did not return from his Potions O.W.L."

"Mr. Potter is no longer here." Snape replied with his usual coldness.

"I know. I just ran into him. What potion did you have him brew that kept him down here so late? He's still recovering."

"I gave Potter the option of stopping and returning for a retest if he was feeling poorly. He declined."

Dumbledore's eyes narrowed astutely and repeated the question, "What potion did you give him?"

"Moonshine."

Dumbledore simply stared at the man in disbelief as if waiting for him to claim that his answer was some sort of joke.

The Moonshine potion was the precursor to the Wolfsbane potion, and while the latter was by far the more difficult of the pair, the Moonshine potion definitely required more advanced skills than those needed for the O.W.L.s.

When it was obvious that the statement was not going to be dismissed, he found his voice and somehow managed to keep it calm.

"I assume that you will adjust his grade accordingly."

"Absolutely not. I will not insult him like that. He will receive the grade that he had earned just like the rest of his classmates."

Dumbledore sighed tiredly, "Severus, Harry is not James."

Snape's eyes and voice were sharp. "This had nothing to do with that."

"Then why-"

"Because he'll be living with a werewolf!"

Dumbledore was just as shocked by the intensity of the statement as the words of explanation, and before he could string even a couple words together in response, Snape continued his speech.

"Despite all your protests to the contrary, you're sending an under-aged wizard into a potentially dangerous situation without the protection of his wand. I wasn't about to let him go there unprotected. Not again." Irritation hit him immediately as the last two words slipped out before he could stop them, and the immediate sparkling that erupted in Dumbledore's eyes only added fuel to the fire. "And stop looking at me like that!"

Ignoring Snape's agitation, Dumbledore's eyes continued to dance, "I was under the impression that you would continue to brew Wolfsbane for Remus."

"If you hadn't noticed, headmaster, my cover was blown, meaning that I'm almost as high on the hit-list as Potter. If something were to happen to me, it would be unlikely that Lupin would be able to procure the potion from another credible source on short notice. Moonshine isn't nearly as effective, but it should serve its purpose well enough, and Potter is the only semi-competent brewer in the bunch."

Dumbledore's eyes dimmed noticeably, "Severus-"

Snape interrupted the inevitable platitude, "It's not over, Albus." To make his point, he pulled up his sleeve, "I thought I was imagining things, but it's been growing darker. It's still fainter than it ever was when he was banished from his body, but it's darker nonetheless."

For a long silent moment, Dumbledore's gaze was fixed on the mark maligning the otherwise pale skin, and then his eyes lowered in obvious acknowledgement and contemplation, and the moment was broken only when Snape allowed his sleeve to fall.

Knowing that something was needed to dispel the dreary intensity that was now hovering around them in the room, Dumbledore picked up the previous conversation before it had taken such a disastrous detour.

"You know, you could have just taught Harry the potion if you were so concerned."

The final part of the sentence drew Snape's glare as Dumbledore intended, and the tension in the atmosphere seemed to wane a bit.

"Potter needed practice brewing the potion under pressure. Besides, I very much doubt that he'd voluntarily give up any of his precious free to practice brewing with his greasy git of a Potions Master."

Dumbledore's lips quirked up in a manner that seemed to imply some sort of secret knowledge.

"I think that you might be surprised."

Snape made some sort of noncommittal noise that only deepened the grin that was settling onto Dumbledore's face.

"Well, then, I'll just leave you to finish up what you were doing. Good night, Severus."

Snape stiffly nodded his valediction, and just before Dumbledore was out of ear-shot, he called out, "If you wouldn't mind, headmaster, could you tell Professor McGonagall that she owes me five galleons?"

Feigning innocence at knowing that McGonagall had bet that Hermione would be the first in years to figure out that Snape had left an ingredient out of the potion on her O.W.L. and that Snape had bet that if anyone were to figure it out, it would be Harry, Dumbledore responded simply with the words, "I'll be sure to pass that along."

Eyes betraying him as they flashed with mirth and pride, Dumbledore made his retreat from the dungeons.

…

It had taken Madam Pomfrey until the last week of classes to declare Harry fit enough to complete the rest of his practical examinations. Despite the fact that Harry had complained that she was being entirely too overprotective, Dumbledore had adhered to the mediwitch's recommendations stringently, feeling a bit overprotective himself.

Thus after a long week of ignoring his classmates basking in the fact that they were practically done for the year and had almost no new assignments, Harry had finally reached the final portion of his final O.W.L.: crystal ball gazing.

Ever since his return to her classroom, Trelawney had been visibly uneasy around him and thus far had not reinstated her predictions of Harry's death.

Now Harry was doing his best to ignore the bug-eyed and cautious stare as he gazed into the mist inhabiting his crystal ball.

He felt suddenly heavy and tired, the pungent vapors sinking into his skull and clouding his brain.

Completely unaware, Harry did not notice the rim of fire that suddenly surrounded his body, nor did he hear the gasp of terror that squeezed its way out of Professor Trelawney as his eyes first turned white and then morphed into orbs of fire.

In a voice that was not his own, Harry spoke words that had been destroyed long ago.

_"Young Phoenix shall rise from the ashes,_

_Awakening the serpent's greatest triumph and greatest mistake,_

_Marking the third reign of darkness._

_The serpent's spawn will poison the phoenix,_

_And Young Phoenix will fall to the darkness._

_Unless he can reclaim his wings_

_The darkness will encroach upon the light_

_Until there exists nothing but the darkness."_

Blinking, Harry cleared his vision, embarrassed that he had actually dozed off amidst his final O.W.L.

Not seeing that Trelawney's caution had deepened into a much more potent fear, Harry spoke quickly, ready for the exam to just be over.

"I'm sorry, Professor, but I don't see anything."

By the time Trelawney's throat finally released her squeak of protest, Harry had already descended from the Divination Tower, ready to join his classmates in their end of the year celebration.

…

"Shouldn't you be doing some last minute packing, Harry?" Dumbledore asked lightly without looking up from a stack of paperwork as Harry entered his office.

"I finished last night."

Hearing that something was deliberately off in Harry's voice, Dumbledore's eyes immediately left his papers to search for any visual clue that they could discern the source of whatever was bothering the teen.

"Is there something wrong?"

"No. I-" Harry was fumbling over the words that he had practiced repeatedly, his lips finding difficulty in coordinating themselves to make coherent speech.

Dumbledore was at Harry's side before the latter had even realized that he had risen from his chair.

"Are you nervous about spending the summer with Sirius and Remus?"

"No… well, maybe a little… but that's not… there's something that I need to do- want to do before I leave. I've been wanting to do it for a while now but-" Harry took a breath, realizing that he was rambling as Dumbledore simply watched him with a patient concern. "But I need you to trust me."

Harry's eyes were shining earnestly, and Dumbledore knew that whatever it was that Harry wanted to do, it was desperately important to him.

"Of course, Harry."

Without another word, Harry reached out and took the other wizard's hand in his own, knowing that though the physical contact was not necessary, it would make what he was going to attempt easier.

Dumbledore had to work to keep his surprise from showing as Harry took his hand. Though Harry had yearned for a family, yearned for love, it was much more likely for Harry to accept some form of intimate contact that initiate it on his own, and Dumbledore had still not shed his guilt over forcing Harry to be so alone.

Yet he was repeating his mistakes, and even though he tried to reassure himself that it would be different this time, that he would only wait a little while before divulging the rediscovered end to the prophecy, he feared that this time Harry would never forgive him.

Dumbledore's eyes roamed to meet Harry's own as he immediately squelched the new monster that had taken up residence in his psyche, but he found that they were already closed in concentration.

A soothing warmth began to creep up his arm from his joined hand, and Dumbledore did not fight the sensation as his eyes floated shut as well.

An odd tickle broached the edge of his mind, asking a question that was more of a feeling than words.

Dumbledore hesitated. The last time they had forged such a connection, it had affected him more than he cared to admit, but the image of Harry pleading for his trust ultimately overruled his hesitation.

Allowing Harry access, he was swept away by another of Harry's memories.

_Pushing away all of the voices, especially that whiny one nagging him about whether or not he would be able to resume his human form, he soared into the clouds, flight in this form coming as naturally to him as it had the first day he had climbed onto a broom._

_If he had thought riding on his broom was exhilarating, then flying unfettered from any object was the closest to pure bliss than he had ever felt. He felt the burdens of his anxiety melt away as he simply let himself become swallowed by the blue-gray expanse of the September sky._

Dumbledore felt his sense of self return as Harry retreated from his mind and sensed the connection break completely as Harry released his hand.

He opened his eyes feeling overwhelmed, unable to fathom why Harry had felt the need to share something so personal with him and unable to find the words to express how much the gesture meant to him.

Anticipating the headmaster's question, Harry spoke softly, "That night when you thought I had failed in my efforts to become an animagus, you told me that being unable to take your form was one of your deepest regrets. I know that it's not the same, but I thought that maybe sharing that with you might help."

Unshed tears glittered brilliantly in Dumbledore's eyes, and his voice took on a strange timbre as he worked it around the huge lump in his throat.

"Harry, I don't know how to thank you."

Harry smiled genuinely, "You've done more than enough, sir, for everyone. I'll see you next term, Professor."

Dumbledore could do nothing but stare at the young man as he slipped out of the office.

…

**Epilogue**

_Hogwarts 500 years earlier_

Lenore Weasley rifled through her bag for the third time before releasing a sigh of defeat and exacerbation as she finally acknowledged that she had neglected to bring any parchment with her.

Mentally she bemoaned the fact that she had not quite mastered the _Accio_ charm because now she was going to have to trudge all the way back to her dormitory to retrieve some, which meant that she was going to have to disassemble the stacks of books that she had finally organized to complete her assignment.

Madam Novelle, the head librarian, had absolutely no tolerance for any mess left behind, and since Lenore was in for a late night in the library, the last thing that she wanted was to get on Madam Novelle's bad side.

Just as she had resigned herself to the fact that she was going to have to pack everything up and return the books to the shelves, her eyes fell upon _Ancient Prophesies and the Fate of the World _by I. C. Thefuture.

She had been enthused at first when she had first retrieved it from one of the shelves in the Restricted Section, with permission from her Divination professor, but had soon realized that the book was completely useless as it was written in some strange foreign language.

Making a split-second decision and making sure that Madam Novelle could not see, Lenore used her wand to cut out a random page from the book and erased the original writing.

After all, no one would ever miss a page from a book they could not read

…

_Unknown location, present time_

The darkness had been the body's constant companion since it had been abandoned and forgotten for decades. Not alive and not dead the body had lain still, untouched by time or the elements- until Voldemort's defeat.

For several weeks the body had shown signs of revival as the heart began to beat and the lungs began to pull in short, shallow breaths, which slowly began to even out.

Finally, the first moment of awareness and a surge of raw magical power descended upon the body, and the darkness was disturbed by the sudden appearance of red, serpentine eyes.

**The End**

**A/n:** Can you believe that this is over? Please look for **Harry Potter and the Serpent's Spawn** for Harry's sixth year. For those of you who are concerned, this will NOT be a Voldemort's son/daughter fic, nor will Voldemort simply be reborn. It's complicated… I guess that you'll just have to continue reading to find out. Once again, individual responses will be posted at the yahoogroup.

**Thank you to everyone for all of your support and suggestions throughout this story. I couldn't have done it without you.**


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